A Journey
by Tadandader
Summary: The dress-hating authors are relaxing in the mall when Fate sends them into Middle Earth. Unconventional AU, no Arwen or Celebrian, self-insertion. First story on FF.N, please R&R.
1. Into Middle Earth

Disclaimer: The majority of these characters belong to J.R.R Tolkien. The main setting belongs to J.R.R. Tolkien. We are only using them to satisfy our creative muses, no more. Please don't sue us, the most you'll get is a pair of socks and a box of easy mac.

This is a collaborative work by El luitha 'uren and Tadandader HalfElven. We met at an online Tolkien message board called Rivendell (http://pub9.ezboard.com/brivendell45735) and began our Journey a few weeks later. We have no intention that anyone take us seriously, though there are some serious moments in this story. So enjoy if you dare!

This tale was begun at Rivendell and continues to be written there. We are uploading it here in spurts. So if you are eager to keep reading and our pace here is too slow, we add sections to Journey daily at its original home. If you enjoy our writing, more of our collaborative efforts and individual tales can also be found at Rivendell.

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Chapter 1_  (__April 25, 2002)_

Tadandader HalfElven 

I sighed. Luitha and I had been to every store in the mall, and still hadn't found a single item of _Lord of the Rings_ merchandise. The storm outside showed no sign of abating, so there was no chance of leaving to go hit every Toys'R'Us in the area. 

Luitha came back from the food court, carrying a soda. "You're bored, aren't you?" she asked.

I nodded, and was about to make a bizarre comment when a brilliant bolt of lightning hit. Everything went black.

………

The ceiling was carved in some sort of pattern, I decided. It was too swirly to just be random, but so far I hadn't figured the pattern out. I distantly heard a door open, but dismissed it until a head appeared, blocking my view. "Hey, can you move your head, please?" I inquired. Or at least, tried to inquire. It actually came out as "Hekumvrhd, pls."

"How do you feel?" I tried to understand why it sounded like two people had spoken. Then I saw another person standing by Luitha's bed. 

"What hit us?" There, that came out right.

The head looked at me, a bit concerned. "We were hoping you could tell us." He, for that's what the head was, sat down in a chair beside my bead. I wished his face wasn't silhouetted so, because I couldn't see his features.

"We?"

"Do you not know where you are, and who we are?"

"No. The last thing I knew was being very bored in a mall."

"You were mauled? I did not see that when I attended to you."

"Um, no, in a mall. Attended?"

"Healed. I am Elrond, and you are in Rivendell. What is this mall you speak of?"

"You are Elrond?"

"Yes."

I promptly passed out.

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El luitha uren  

 There was one good thing in life, I thought as I waited in line for my coke and stared moodily at my Gandalf goblet from Burger King. Legolas lovers must have been having a much harder time than I was trying to find _Lord of the Rings_ stuff. But honestly, who really wanted the Lurtz and the 'Orc Overseer' action figures? I felt bad for Tadan though- at least there _was_ Aragorn merchandise. Elrond was getting quite the bad end of this deal.

Tadan was sitting at the foot of one of those indoor tree things they had in the mall, absently watching the crowd in the level above us. I had a sudden urge to give her some pipeweed and check to see if she had hairy feet. Oh yeah, I though, I had it baaaaad. Tadan turned then and watched my approach with a frown.

"You're bored, aren't you?" I asked. She nodded, opened her mouth...

Everything went black.

………..

Amazing how fascinating fire could be when you couldn't see clearly. Flames and smoke swirling to form a pattern, dancing with each other and reaching for the....

I shook my head. It was also amazing how poetic you could get when waking from unconsciousness. But the head shaking sent a wave of dizziness over me, and I closed my eyes again as the world began to spin once more. I could feel the heat on my face, the softness of the pillows and bed underneath me. The sheets, were they silk? I didn't know emergency rooms had silk sheets. How kind of them. 

Wait a minute. I didn't know they had fires in their rooms either_. _Was my bed on fire?

Someone was talking, three someones. One of them sounded like Tadan. She didn't sound very good, must've been knocked out too. Who were the others?  They didn't sound worried, so obviously the fire was not hazardous and therefore not part of my bed. What kind of ER was this?

I cracked open an eye, fought the wave of dizziness, and rolled my head over to see the speakers. Someone was sitting on Tadan's bed, long hair flowing down to his waist. I resisted the effort to growl that the 60's had ended forty years ago. Another man was standing behind him. Long hair too, though only down to his shoulders. So 90's. Were they wearing robes? And what was that, pointy ears!? 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

I came to about a minute later, staring into the very concerned eyes of Elrond. His hand rested on my head. Of course, with the odd way I was feeling, my first thought was to wonder where the other man had gone. After a quick glance I ascertained he was sitting on Luitha's bed. I closed my eyes weakly, listening.

"Are you well?"

"Mphtokbatm." She must have been affected the same way as I. 

He said something else, but then Elrond spoke, and I missed it. "You are ill, but it is not a typical illness. Tell me, have you suffered a recent trauma?"

"I think...I think we were struck by a flash."

"A flash?" He sounded puzzled. In the cloudy mist of my thoughts I realized he must think I was insane.

"Lightning. Who's the other guy?"

"The one beside the bed of your friend is Estel, whom I have raised. 'Twas he who came upon your bodies while walking through the woods."

I felt myself drifting, everything was going quiet. "Sleep, visitor. Tomorrow, we shall talk more." I drifted off, hearing the voices of Elrond, Aragorn, and Luitha going distant. Just before I lost awareness I realized that I hadn't told him my name. Then I was asleep. 

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El luitha uren  

The man on Tadan's bed was definitely not a man. His voice was low and melodic, and I strained to hear his words. But the dizziness returned as I attempted to sit up. The man standing behind the Elf (Could he have been anything else? I was a Tolkien fanatic, of course he was an Elf.) came swiftly to my side and sat next to me on the bed.

He had a hood on, dark clothes that looked like they hadn't been washed in ages. I couldn't see any details of his face, all but his mouth was shrouded by the hood. And his eyes, two shining lights that shone with blue fire from within the shadow. 

I froze.

He reached over and touched my forehead, and the corners of his mouth curved downward to form a frown.

"You are still dizzy?" His voice was gruff and deep. I swallowed and nodded slightly. "You are very ill. Lord Elrond has not the knowledge to heal this."

I felt the bottom drop out of my stomach. "Elrond?" No. No way. This could not be happening. "Where am I?"

"Rivendell, my lady." His lips curved to a smile now. "I found you and your friend in the wood and brought to here to heal."

"To Rivendell."

"You find that hard to believe?" The smile widened, and a mischievous sparkle lit up his eyes.

"Umm, yes."

"What happened to you? There are not many illnesses that can elude Master Elrond."

"Elrond. In Rivendell." Was I really dreaming? The world was swimming in interesting ways and I did have a rather active imagination. But I didn't remember a dream being this real.

"Elrond. In Rivendell." He repeated.

Wait a minute. My brain was recovering from that nice shock, and clarity was starting to seep in. Say I was in Rivendell, with Elrond. That would make the man sitting next to me...

"Estel," he said simply, as though reading the question in my eyes. My mind reeled, my vision spun. "Elrond," Estel called softly, and the Elf Lord came over. He touched my chin gently, then moved his hand to cover my eyes.

"Sleep," he commanded.

I had no choice. Fighting the heaviness on my eyelids the whole time, I fell asleep even before I could make a vocal protest. 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 I opened my eyes to see the sun shining through a window, landing right on my face. Carefully, I tried to sit up. Nothing happened. I tried again, only to feel so dizzy I almost fell out of the bed. I decided the floor didn't look very soft, so I laid back down onto the soft pillows.

The room looked different in the sunlight, though that might have been the fact that I was a bit more aware of my surroundings. The soft forest colors were soothing, and the ceiling definitely _was_ patterned. 

I was wearing a long green robe, and had a fleeting thought that it probably matched my eyes before rolling over to check on Luitha.

"Pssst, Luitha, are you okay?" There was no answer, so I tried to get up again. Stupid mistake. I ended up sprawled on the ground, tangled in the thick blanket that had been tucked around me. "Ooof! That kind of hurt!" I stopped as soon as I noticed I was talking to the floor. Carefully, I got to my hands and knees, and then sank back down, slowly. The world was spinning way too fast for me to even crawl. 

I placed my cheek against the smooth, cold tiles. Who would have known the floor actually was comfortable?

I heard rapid footsteps, then felt two arms rapidly go underneath me.

"You should have stayed in bed." His voice was so beautifully hypnotic. I wanted to tell him that, but knew he would think me an idiot. Which I felt like right about then.

"I wanted to know if Luitha was all right. She didn't answer me."

"Your friend is doing just as well as you. And what is your name?"

"Tadandader. But my friends call me Tadan."

"Fate? They call you Fate?"

"Um, yeah." I was spared from any other embarrassment by Luitha's waking cough. 

------------------------------------------------ El luitha uren  

 It was dark, all around, without a light anywhere. I was dreaming, falling forever in the darkness when...

I heard a muffled shriek, sat bolt upright, and felt a pair of strong hands pushing me back down. "Tadan?!" I called.

"She is safe. Lay back down." My head hit the pillow again, and I gasped with the sudden pain lancing through it. Something cool brushed over my eyes, and I felt a wet cloth press down on my forehead. 

"No, no," I pushed it aside and struggled to sit up again. "Tadan?"

"Here," came the reply from across the room. I sucked in my breath, I'd never heard her speak that way before. She didn't sound very good at all. 

"Tadan," he paused at the name and smiled, "is well for now." Elrond was standing over me. "She seems a little more disoriented than you. You yourself may be up in a day or two."

"Where's Estel?"

"Relax and sleep. You will be up by tomorrow." He touched my forehead again, and again I passed out. 

------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Elrond came back to my bedside, looking serious.

"She may be up tomorrow, but I will not?"

"For some reason, you were affected more than she." He pulled back the blanket that was still twisted around me and pointed to a burn I hadn't noticed before on my arm. "The lightning, if that is what it was, struck you with more force. You might say it was a twist of fate." A wry smile twisted his lips. He was laughing at me!

I opened my mouth angrily, but he raised his hand. "I do not mean to insult you. Relax. Your name was not your choice."

For a moment I considered telling him it was my choice, but decided against it. "How is she? I know she passed out again."

His eyes moved to Luitha's sleeping form before he answered. "I have already healed her burns. She merely needs to regain her strength, and she will be fine. You, however, are a different matter. Go back to sleep, Tadan. Your healing shall be continued this evening." His hand rested on my forehead, and I couldn't fight the sudden heaviness of my eyelids. 

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El luitha uren  

 Why was it, I mused crankily, that whenever the sun rose, it always managed to precisely line up with my eye? With a groan, I rolled over and put the sunny window to my back. A hand pressed against my shoulder, and Elrond's calm voice came from above me.

"How are you feeling, Luitha?"

"You know my name?"

"Tadan told us. How are you feeling? Can you sit up?"

I could. I rolled back over, relieved that the movement had not been accompanied with bouts of nausea and shakily lifted my head off the pillow.

"Good!" Elrond smiled. "Whatever lightening struck you seems not to have had a very lasting effect. Would you like some fresh air? Come!" He held out his hand. "Your escort is waiting outside."

The air was cool, and a light breeze played with my hair as I stepped outside. I shivered in the cold, and for the first time became aware of silk moving against my skin. Not a dress, I thought. I hated dresses. It wasn't thankfully enough. But the pants were wide enough that it certainly felt like a dress, with the light blue fabric blowing around my legs in the wind. I had the sudden feeling it was picked out with the intention of matching my eyes, and I look accusingly at Elrond.

We walked along an arched pathway, and I gazed in wonder at the detail of the design and patterns. If I was still dreaming, this was the best dream I'd ever had. I touched a intricately carved poll with careful fingertips. Most detailed dream I'd ever had too. Birds chirped from the trees, their shrill voices playing a melody I'd never heard before. And was that Elvish singing in the distance? It was too beautiful to be human.

We descended down a covered walkway, and I still leaned heavily on Elrond's arm and was not at all steady on my feet. The path ended at the foot of the trees, and a giant forest leaned over us. I closed my eyes and sucked in air. Very quietly, in the distance, I could hear the roaring of a river. 

The wind blew again, harder. I shivered violently and felt a cloak being thown over my shoulders.

"Thank you..." I turned to face Elrond, but the Elf Lord had disappeared. I hadn't even felt his arm leave mine. "Who...?"

"Lord Elrond has returned to your friend Tadan. Would you like to ride?"

Estel stood behind me and held out a hand in offering.

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 I woke again. The ceiling was getting sort of annoying now that I had figured out the pattern, so I rolled over to check on Luitha. The bed was empty.

"Luitha!" Panicking, I tried to sit up again. That was a very stupid idea. I fell back to the pillows, groaning, as my head spun. Where was she? Was she all right? Maybe something had happened while I was asleep. My friend! "Luitha!" I called again, and was answered with the door opening.

Elrond stood framed in the doorway. "Luitha, what happened, is she okay? Did she get worse? Is she all right?"

"Calm yourself!" I stopped, feeling rather flustered. "She is getting some fresh air and taking a tour of the city. Luitha is walking on her own. But now, I want you to sit up."

I focused on the objective, because I really didn't feel like falling over in front of him. Carefully I sat up. The world was rotating at a terrifying pace, but I stayed up. He placed a hand on my forehead. 

"You still are extremely dizzy," he murmured. I was pretty sure I wasn't meant to hear that, and my point was proven when he spoke louder. "You condition improves slowly, but well. Lay back down."

"But..." I stopped as his eyes met mine. I could read something, was it uncertainty, in his eyes. I obeyed, only to be startled as he picked me up. "Wha.."

"It has been proven that time outside always helps to heal those who are ill. I am taking you to the porch, where there is a reclining chair. You shall rest there for a while."

I relaxed in his arms, and decided I didn't mind my inability to walk too much. 

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El luitha uren  

 The rising sun was just casting its morning rays over the treetops of Rivendell. Estel stood just in the shade, and the shadows of the leaves danced with the wind on his face. He was uncloaked now, and for the first time I saw the Man's face. Strange how different he seemed from the Lord Elrond. His features were rugged and uneven compared to the smoothness of the Elves.

He held the reins of his horse lightly in one hand, and watched me with a tilt of his head. 

"You seem much stronger now. Good! The fresh air from the forests of Rivendell will cure any ills you have left. Are you warm?"

I nodded and wrapped my cloak tighter around. I suddenly felt very nervous and very much out of my element. What had happened? How had I gotten here, of all places? Was I truly dreaming?

"Come." Estel held out his hand, and I accepted it without hesitation. Nope, that touch was definitely real. I couldn't be dreaming. He pulled me toward the horse.

"This is Roheryn. He will bear us wherever we wish to go." Well, horses were familiar at any rate. I swung up into the saddle with only a small grunt, Roheryn was much taller than any horse had any right to be. For a moment I was afraid my legs would give out, and I was disgusted with the weakness in them. Estel seemed to sense this, and as he leapt with ease into the saddle to sit behind me, he leaned forward and whispered "It will pass." How is it he always knew what I was thinking? I hadn't realized I was that easy to read. Elvish influence on him, I supposed. 

"Are you all right? Dizzy?" 

"No, I'm fine." My voice cracked. Attractive. Nice one Luitha.

"If do feel dizzy, tell m...." Estel's words were cut off by a shriek from the woods. I swung my head, nearly falling out of the saddle in doing so. Silk was slippery stuff. I was just in time to see a bunch of Elves tearing through the woods at top speed.

"What...?" Elves running from something?

Estel smiled. "The Elf hunters are on the loose again. Watch." I couldn't see much because of the trees, but I caught a glimpse of fleeting figures running after the Elves and the distinct smell of strawberries filled my nose. 

"Pervy Elf hunters. They really do exist," I muttered, grinning at the look of panic on the faces of the Elves as they passed.

Estel was smiling by now too. I could see his laughter as we both turned to watch the chase. "The Elves really love it, being chased by hormonal humans. The Prince of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf, never fails to let himself be captured. The Elves that have been caught tell great tales of the magic of 'tie bow' these hunters possess."

I grinned and neglected to mention that Tadan and I too knew the art of 'tie bow.' But my grin faded. I had a sudden longing for my own PEF friends. As the chase passed out of sight, I saw one hunter in the rear shriek and fall into some sort of netty trap. They even have a Lizard, I thought.

"Shall we be off?" Wrapping an arm around my waist to hold me steady, Estel kneed Roheryn, and the horse took off at a slow walk. 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 The light played on Elrond's magnificent face as he approached the porch. Carefully he set me down onto one of the chairs, and took the one beside me.

"What you see is the main part of my city," he said. "There," and he pointed, "is where the Hall of Fire, our council room, is. And there," he gestured at an intricately patterned building, "is where healing is done. The roof is latticed, and has set within it various things that magnify starlight and sunlight. And..." 

He stopped as I shivered. I really hadn't meant to interrupt him, as I felt that I could listen to his voice all day. But I was freezing. This was why I rarely got up this early at home. A thought of homesickness struck for a moment. Then Elrond spoke, and drove all other thoughts out of my head.

"I'm sorry, I forgot that you were dressed so poorly for the weather. I shall return in a moment, with a blanket." He stood up an re-entered the building, leaving me to stare into the city. A voice disturbed me from my reverie.

"Greetings! Is it safe to guess that you are Tadan?"

I nodded and looked to the side, where the voice came from. 

"Welcome to Rivendell. I am Erestor. I had come out here to find Lord Elrond, but it seems he was called away from his duties as host?"

It was almost a statement, not quite a question, but I answered it anyways. "I was quite cold, and he went inside to find a blanket."

"Ah, proof that even the wise make mistakes. And speaking of whom..." he trailed off, and I heard footsteps approach. "Lord Elrond, Glorfindel is looking for you. It is about tonight."

"Very well. Keep her company while I search him out." Elrond stepped into my view and carefully wrapped a thick blanket around me. With a nod, he was off. 

"Tonight?"

Erestor looked at me as he took a seat. His eyes were a soft hazel, and they kept switching colors as he moved. "Tonight there is a gathering of some of our most precious stars in the heavens. It is also the time when healing is most effective. Glorfindel and Elrond are going to try to discover what ails you yet tonight."

I felt a bit embarrassed. The Elves were going through so much trouble, just for a human who had accidentally landed in their world. "I don't mean to be a bother..." I began, but Erestor cut me off.

"You are not. It is the least we can do when two injured people come to our doors. Or should I say, forests. Although, there is question as to how a mysterious pair shows up with lightning wounds after two weeks of clear weather." His eyes were suddenly very piercing, but Elrond returned just then.

"Thank you, Erestor, you may go." Erestor nodded his head and left. I sat there, thankful for his timing, until he turned to me and spoke again. "How did the two of you come here, and from where? I am very interested in learning of your race, Tadan, for I was unaware of any other Half-Elves."

My face must have shown the shock I was feeling, for he continued quickly, "When you heal someone, you feel their race, and blood. Luitha is an Elf, and you are half Elven."

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El luitha uren  

 "Tell me about yourself, Luitha." At last Estel broke the long silence, until now only filled by the rhythmic beating of hooves. I was quickly jarred out of the trance into which I had fallen. "The Elves of Rivendell and Elrond are very curious about you and your friend," Estel continued. 

I smiled. "And you?"

I could almost hear the answering smile in his voice. "And I. Where are you from? Mirkwood? Though that would have been quite a trip for you to make."

"No..." I paused before answering. How much would Estel understand or believe? And how much would Tadan want to give away? "I come from a place called Virginia, though you've never heard of it. It's impossible for even a Ranger to reach."

"I doubt that, my lady. No place is unreachable for a Ranger." There was a merry twinkle in his eye. "But I have never heard of Virginia, is it an Elvish land? Strange name, Vir-gi-ni-a." He pronounced the new name slowly and carefully, rolling the unfamiliar sounds off his tongue.

"Humans for the most part." Should I mention that Elves and Hobbits and Dwarves did not exist in my world? Estel seemed to be about to say something, but I sensed it would be best to change the subject. "This is the River Bruinen?" The roaring of rapids had become louder, and as we turned a bend in the forest path, the river flowed into sight. "Is the Ford close by?"

Estel must have been surprised, for he hesitated before answering. "No, the Ford is a day's journey down the river from where we stand. You know much of this place and its people, though. I had gathered you had never been in Rivendell before."

Gulp. "In Virginia we have many histories of Rivendell and Middle-earth. I have spent many hours bending over books and maps, trying to absorb it all." I smiled then, thinking of rainy days that saw me curled up in a chair and blanket, _Lord of the Rings_ in hand.

"Truly? I have never even heard of travelers visiting this Virginia, and there is not much that escapes my knowledge. Who then knows so much about this land and yet has never been here?"

"A man named J.R.R Tolkien. He wrote all of the books that I read."

"Ah." There was relief in Estel's voice. "That would explain some of it. Tolkien is not a man though. He is a Hobbit, and I believe he is quite comfortable in his hobbit hole in the Shire at the moment. He travels quite a bit, strange for a hobbit. But the land he told me he visited was called Britain, not Virginia." 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 It took me a minute to find my tongue. Honestly, I had no idea what to tell him. Oh, of course I was going to tell the truth, but how much? His eyes were studied me intently as I groped for words. "I come from a land that is very far from here," I began haltingly. "It's called Florida, a vastly flat and plain land. I'm not sure how we got here from there, nor how one would go about returning." There, that should do it, not too many details, and yet, it seemed to be enough. And then he spoke again.

"And your heritage? What of that?"

Oops, I'd forgotten the second question. I could see he was sitting there, waiting for the answers, but I had none. Half Elf? My world was full of Humans and their inventions, not dragons and palantir. My mind was preoccupied as I tried to adjust how I sat to cover up my discomfort. That was a stupid mistake, or perhaps a brilliant one, because at that moment, my head decided to start spinning again. I put out a hand to steady myself, and missed the armrest, slamming my head into the armrest instead. I had two thoughts before I blacked out. One was that this accident couldn't have been better timed. The second was that if Elrond didn't think me a klutz before, he certainly would now. Then I passed out. 

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El luitha uren  

 Tolkien a Hobbit in the Shire? Oh I definitely needed to talk to Tadan now. Shifting uncomfortably in the saddle, I tried to get rid of the new rock that had formed in my stomach.

"Tell me about your land?" Estel asked, as Roheryn paced alongside the river. 

"It's not as beautiful as this place." I plucked a leaf from my hair and idly spun it between my fingers. 

Estel chuckled. "Nay, no place is as beautiful as Rivendell. Only Lorien may surpass it yet." He turned the horse's head toward the river once more and stopped at the bank. "Are you thirsty? We may take a break here, if you wish."

"Please." I hadn't realized how weary I felt until that moment. Estel dismounted and helped me down from the saddle. The water was not moving so swiftly near the edge, and perhaps it was the stillness which prompted me to bend over and look in, taken with the sudden desire to see my reflection in the water.

I looked different, somehow, though I supposed a crossover from Virginia to Middle-earth would do that to a person. As I leaned closer, the changes in my appearance became more and more apparent. My face was thinner and smoother. My eyes had always been blue, but the color seemed intensified now. My hair was much longer, how had I missed that? Though still curly, strangely enough. Wait, now why was that strange? 

I tucked ringlets nervously behind one ear, looked up for Estel, and froze. Slowly, I turned my gaze back toward the water and leaned in, holding my breath.

My ears were pointy.

Granted, I'd always had pointy ears, but not _this_ pointy. I swallowed, my mouth opened in surprise, and I reached forward to touch the reflection and make sure it was real...

The next thing I knew, I was three fet from the shore, sputtering, hacking water from my lungs, and vainly trying to remember how to swim. But the darned cloak that had once been so warm was wrapped around my arms and legs and making floating a rather impossible attempt.

I didn't hear Estel call my name, didn't see him dive in after. But I did feel the pressure of his arms around me as he dragged me onto the shore. I sat up, hacked up another lung-full of water, and tried desperately to crawl back to see my reflection again.

Estel held me back. "Luitha, do you truly possess such a desire to kill yourself? Struck by lightning and now trying to drown?" He sounded amused. Was he laughing at me? I sputtered some more, looked up at him through dripping ringlets of hair, and wondered if he had known all along I was an Elf. Of course he knew. I was the only fool who hadn't seen it. And Tadan? Was she an Elf too?

"I'm sorry. I thought I saw something in the river and..." The explanation was lame and I knew it.

He waved his hand at me. "No matter. Let us return before Lord Elrond has to heal you all over again." He smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Are you sure you are all right? You will not try to jump from Roheryn's back?'

"I promise."

He lifted me into the saddle and swung up behind me. I shivered and huddled against his chest, and he wrapped his cloak around both of us. Roheryn moved at a steady trot back towards Rivendell. Lulled by the rhythm of the steady pounding of hooves and motion of the horse, and warmed by Estel's cloak, I fell asleep.


	2. Questions Arise

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I woke up that afternoon, to see Elrond sitting in the chair beside my bed, talking to a new Elf. Carefully I felt my forehead, because it still hurt. I found a sore spot which had to be a bruise. Great, I thought, I must look absolutely gorgeous. Elrond turned to face me as the other Elf left.

"Perhaps the porch was not the best idea. I am sorry that you grew dizzy again. It shall be remedied."

"It's not your fault. I tried to move around, and once more forgot my health." He nodded, but there was an expectancy in his eyes. I decided to give him the best answer I could. "I have no idea were I got the Elvish blood. Nor do I know where Luitha got it. I couldn't tell you if I was Teleri or Noldor if my life depended on it. I'm sorry to disappoint you, but you know as much as I."

"I see. Originally, I thought your accident was on purpose to avoid the question, but your eyes show that you are telling the truth. How can you not know your parentage?"

"I don't know."

"Simple, yet honest. I apologize that you have never known you parents. I do have one more question, though." I braced myself for the worst, but was very much relieved when I heard his inquiry. "Do you know why you were affected more than Luitha by the lightning?"

Ah, one I had been pondering for a while. "I was sitting by the tree. The lightning no doubt used the tree as a conduit, and I was right there, while Luitha was not as close." 

His eyebrows furrowed for a moment before he spoke. "That makes sense. Now, Erestor told me he informed you of what was to happen tonight. Let me fill in the..." he stopped at the sight of two entering the room.

Estel and Luitha made quite the sight, both of them dripping wet. I almost burst out laughing when he set her down, because she looked soaked to the skin. And then I noticed the ears. Elrond was right. Oh, did I have points on my ears? Unnoticed by the men, my hands felt my ears. They were pointed!

Elrond looked at the two of them. "What happened?" He rose to put his hand on Luitha's forehead, and ascertained that she was no worse for the wear. Estel opened the closet on the far wall before answering.

"We stopped by the River, she looked in, and the next thing I knew she was halfway down in, splashing like crazy. I jumped in and pulled her out." I was having trouble hiding my grin while Luitha turned bright red. And then Elrond had to spoil it.

"They both seem rather inclined to accidents, I fear. Tadan tried to sit up again, and missed the armrest with her hand when she tried to steady herself. However, she did catch it, with her head." Now it was my turn to grow red as Estel looked at me. Why, oh why, did I have to embarrass myself in front of two of the hottest men alive?

Estel pulled a dry gown out for Luitha, and motioned to a second doorway. "There is a dressing room behind that door, if you feel like changing before you lay down." She took the dress, and walked out. 

------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Darn it, I hated dresses. I really did. I looked down in disgust at the blue fabric that fell to the ground, swirling around my legs. I spun around and realized the shade was the exact same as my eyes. Elrond had good taste... 

Wait. I hated dresses. I hated dresses. 

Feeling rather awkward and self-conscious, I walked back into the room. Tadan was sitting up in her bed, propped against a pillow. It was the first time I'd seen her in full light, and I grew immediately worried. Was she all right? Had she even gotten out of bed? I wanted to run over and hug her, and I moved to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. She smiled weakly at me, as though she knew what was running through my mind. I smiled weakly back.

It was then that I grew aware of eyes upon us. Elrond and Estel were standing by the door in quiet discussion. Trying to use unobtrusive glances, I watched them quietly. Elrond's gaze kept flickering over to us, as though he was having trouble concentrating on his conversation with Estel. A healer worried about his patients? No, that wasn't it. 

I looked back at Tadan; she too was trying to follow the conversation. It was only when I turned back and saw Elrond glancing over towards us once more that I understood. Was Elrond was falling for Tadan? For a human? No, Tadan's ears were defiantly as pointy as mine. She was an Elf too! 

Estel turned to leave then. He held my eyes and slowly nodded at me, as though reassuring me. I felt comforted by the gesture and relaxed. I hadn't even realized I'd been tense. Without a sound, Estel left the room. Elrond turned to us.

"I wish for both of you to rest until tonight. You will need to save your strength. Elrohir will check on you periodically. Let him know if you need me for anything."

Tonight?

He gave a final look to Tadan, turned, and moved smoothly out the door. I decided then that it would be best if I kept my notions to myself and not tell Tadan what I thought I had seen. It wasn't really my business anyway.

At last, I was alone with my friend. 

-----------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I watched as Elrond left, his cape billowing slightly as he exited. Then I turned to Luitha. "So you fell in by accident? You weren't trying to knock him in and missed?" Maybe the grin on my face gave me away, but she picked up one of the smaller pillows on my bed and raised it in a threatening manner. Still smiling, almost laughing, I weakly put my hands up in front of me, as if to block her.

"For your information, it was an accident. I saw my ears!" Luitha was smiling too. She knew my habit of teasing. 

"Oh, how do mine look? Are they just as cool as yours?" I really wish I had a mirror. Oh, there was one on the front of the closet, but I had a feeling I couldn't get over there.

"They look very much like mine. How did you know?"

"Elrond and I were sitting on the porch when, out of the blue, he asked me about the bloodlines of myself and you. It seems that I also am a half Elf, while you are a full Elf. He found out when he healed us."

"Sitting on the porch?" Now she was grinning, but I had no idea why. 

"Elrond said that it was proven that time outside helps heal some one who is ill."

"He did, did he? You had some private time with him?" Oh, now I saw what she was getting at. I began to blush, and I felt the blush creep up to my new ear tips. 

"I don't think he was thinking along those lines. I think he's just concerned because..." I trailed off. I hated being sick, and being weak really irked me. Why did I have to sit so close to the darn tree? Just because I like plants...I sighed. 

"Because what?" Her question broke into my thoughts about trees, and I really didn't want to answer, but she was my friend. 

"There's something still wrong. I can't even sit up without the world spinning so fast it almost goes black."

She sat silently for a moment then, and I really wished I was psychic. Then she smiled and changed the subject. "You don't think he was thinking along those lines, but what about you?" 

------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I tried not to let it show, but Tadan was really beginning to worry me. How on Earth (Earth? Middle-Earth?) did lightning strike the tree inside the mall? I didn't think Tadan has ever fully realized the ramifications of her name. How ironic that I had never believed in fate before.

But, the blush in her new ear-tips lightened my mood. She and Elrond... I suppressed my grin to hide it from her. __

_I am not a matchmaker. Repeat it Luitha. I am not here to be a matchmaker. Tadan does not need any other worries right now. It's her business._

_But the way Elrond was looking at her..._

_You are not a matchmaker Luitha._

_Fine, fine._

"So what's up for tonight?"

"Some healing thing. Erestor was telling me about it. Nice dress by the way."

Dang it, she had to rub it in. I could fell my own ears turning scarlet now. In an attempt the change the subject, I related the entire conversation with Estel about Tolkien. Tadan seemed just as shocked as I had felt at the time.

"I'm thinking that maybe he got here the same way we did, and he became a Hobbit just like we became Elves and half Elves."

"Maybe," Tadan replied. "So if we ever get bored of Rivendell, we can hike over to the Shire and interrogate him."

Was she serious? It was always hard to tell if Tadan was being sarcastic or not. Her dry humor would be the end of me, I swore.

I was about to retort back when she put a hand to her head and her eyes started to unfocus.

"Tadan?" I held her shoulders to steady her. "Lay back down. Do you want me to call for help?"

She shook her head. "I'll be okay. Give me a minute. I was thinking too hard."

The healing couldn't take place soon enough, I thought worriedly. 

------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Wow, Tolkien was here! Now that was really cool. My mind drifted for a moment as I thought of all the questions I wanted to ask him. After all, he would have to know who Tom Bombadil was, and if Glorfindel of Rivendell was also of Gondolin and....My head spun, and I almost fell out of the bed. Luitha's voice sounded far away as she asked me if I needed help. After a second my dizziness subsided, and I turned to smile at Luitha. It didn't fool her. I should have known that she knew me too well. "I'm all right. Don't worry about it." Her eyes remained serious. Time to change the subject, I thought. "So what all did you do when you were off with Estel?"

Her eyes told me that she knew what I was doing, but she went along with it. After a few minutes, I was fully informed, and I grinned. "So he saved you a second time. How very interesting. Only, I think he likes women who wear dresses. That might be kind of hard for you." 

She started talking again, by my thoughts drifted by accident. I was feeling worse than this morning, when the reverse should have been true. My head spun. Then I heard a new voice enter the conversation, and regained my train of thought. Elrohir wasn't quite as good looking as his father, but he was close. 

------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I moved back to my bed as Elrohir came in. How had he known to come just then, when Tadan had another wave of dizziness? He bent over Tadan and gently touched her brow. She fell asleep immediately. Elrohir turned to me with a frown.

"She'll sleep until tonight. Then we will see what is to be done. I suggest you rest as well. Sunset is not long from now. Father and Glorfindel will be in here soon." Still frowning, he walked quickly out the door. I was alone again.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling. It was patterned. How had I missed that before? It would drive me crazy now that I knew. I moved my head to watch Tadan sleep. What was wrong? Why couldn't Elrond heal her?

Well, I couldn't sleep now. I looked to the window, wishing for the sunlight to fade. 

-----------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I felt as if I was in a boat, gently rocking back and forth. Why would there be a boat in Rivendell? I opened my eyes to see Elrond's face above me. Oh, he was carrying me. I closed my eyes again, for I felt very weak. Soft murmurs of conversation reached my ears, but I couldn't make any of it out until I heard Elrond speak. "We must work with some haste, for I feel her weakening." I tried to say that he was wrong, I would be fine, but couldn't open my mouth. Suddenly the rocking changed, and I felt something hard against my back. Opening my eyes, I ascertained that I was lying on some sort of table, and the stars were shining down through gaps in the beautiful ceiling. I closed my eyes, just wanting to sleep. 

Elrond's voice spoke again, but I couldn't hear what he said. He was answered by another male Elven voice, and I felt a hand gently resting on my forehead. A second hand joined the first, and a wave of heat washed through my body, followed by my heartbeat quickening. 

"It affected her heart's rhythm. It is not transporting enough blood to her brain. That explains the dizziness." The second Elf sounded sure of himself.

"Yes, Glorfindel, but I sense there is something else. Ah, perhaps.." Elrond's voice faded away. I drifted on the sea of stars. 

-----------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I was jolted awake from an uneasy sleep by the sound of the door opening. It was dark now. I had missed the sunset. Elrond strode in and moved quickly to Tadan's bed. Sitting down beside her, he touched a gentle finger to her forehead and sighed.

"She is weakening." The mumble was low. I didn't think he realized I was awake. He moved his finger down in what looked like a caress of her cheek before standing up with another sigh. Sliding both arms underneath her, she picked her up and moved back out the door.

I sat up. Were they taking her to be healed? Well she was my friend and I was not going to be left behind. I swung my legs off the bed and trotted over to the door. Quietly, I swung it open and stepped out. Strange lights lit the hallway, fueled by something other than fire. Their glow was soothing and much different than the harsh lightbulbs of my home.

Home. I pushed the thought out of my mind and moved into the hallway. It was actually more of an open walkway with a canopy for a ceiling. I felt a slight breeze sail through the warm air as I stood next to the railing of the hall, looking out over the whole of Rivendell. But my attention was swiftly drawn upwards. 

"Most visitors are amazed at the beauty of Rivendell. Yet you do not even look twice, my lady." I started and whirled. Estel was standing behind me. I had not even heard him approach.

"Rivendell is beautiful," I answered. "But I have always been fascinated by the stars." I looked out again, seeking for my familiar friend, Orion, but could not find him. "The sky is different here from my own," I told Estel in wonder. I grew excited at the thought of learning the new patterns and names. "What is that?" I pointed to a bright star just over the horizon.

"Earendil," Estel answered softly. I stared in quiet amazement, unsure of what to say.

Estel broke the long silence that followed with, "There are not many for whom the beauty of the stars captures the heart. Few walk out into the night and look up instead of ahead."

"That is true of the people of my land as well," I answered. Another long silence followed.

"Where does your name come from, Luitha?" Estel's voice was low and curious.

"I knew a little of Elvish and gave myself that name." I smiled. "It means 'enchants' and does not make sense, I know."

"Then I will have to make it make sense, oh admirer of the stars, and I will give you a new name."

I tore my eyes away from the sky and turned to him in curiosity.

"And that will be?"

"El luitha uren," he told me softly. "A star enchants my heart." 

------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I continued to drift in and out of my semi-conscious state throughout the healing. Then the heat was gone, and one of the hands left my forehead.

"We have tended what ails her. Let Elrohir take her back to bed and we shall rest." Glorfindel sounded tired. 

"No. Go on, I shall take her to her room." Why? Was he afraid his son would drop me?

"My lord, that may not be wise..."

"I am aware of what wisdom is, and how to apply it correctly. However, I do not desire to leave her side at this time."

"We have healed her." A pause followed this statement, making me wonder if they were communicating with telepathy. "Ah, I see now. I shall send one of your sons to walk behind her so you do not trip and fall because of your weariness and stubbornness."

"It is not stubbornness, I merely wish to make certain that she is well. I shall sleep in the chair in their room."

"Just being a friendly host." Was there a hint of laughter in Glorfindel's voice? 

"Yes. Now go to bed." With that, Elrond picked me up. A snort followed us as he walked away. I had no idea Elves snorted. It seemed rather, well, beneath them. My mind felt a little muddled, and I couldn't figure out what Glorfindel had been getting at. But I was very comfortable in Elrond's arms. Then I heard him speak again. "Luitha, Estel, how goes the night?"

------------------------------------------------ 

El luitha uren  

 Estel's eyes held my own, refusing to let me move or even think. There seemed to be some longing within them, as though he wanted to say something but dared not.

"Luitha, Estel, how goes the night?" Elrond's words broke whatever spell had fallen over me. Estel looked up to greet the Elf Lord, and I cast my eyes down to my feet. What had happened? I was shaking, but I did not understand why.

_You are being a silly ninny_, I admonished to myself. _Grow up and look to Tadan. She needs you more than anyone else does right now._

I looked up to see Elrond talking with Estel, Elrohir passing his glance between them. "...healed her. She needs rest now more than anything."

Estel placed a hand on the Elf Lord's shoulder. "My Lord, you need rest as well," he said quietly. Elrond did not answer, only moved toward Tadan's and my room. But he paused and turned back to look at Estel. His glance then slid over to me. I could read nothing from his face other than weariness, but I burned to know what his thoughts held just then. He said firmly, "Estel, we must talk," and turned back to the room. Elrohir followed along behind. 

Estel turned to me, concern written across his face, and he swallowed before he spoke to me.

"Tadan has been healed. Elrond will spend the night with her to see that she remains that way. Come with me, I will show you to another room where you may sleep in peace."

I cast one last glance in Tadan's direction before following Estel down the hallway and into another room. The only thing I remembered after that was the look he gave me as he left the room. His eyes were filled with pain and sadness, bright blue dulled to gray. 

------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I was surprised by the regret I felt when Elrond set me down in the bed. I almost wished he would pick me up again, then I repressed that thought. He sighed as the chair creaked beside my bed. "Elrohir, you may leave. I did not drop her, as Glorfindel feared I might."

"And if you should fall asleep, who would watch over her? I shall stay." 

"Very well." 

I fell asleep, strangely comforted by the thought that Elrond would be there when I awoke. 

Once more, the sun fell on my face as soon as the first rays peaked over the edge of the world. With a groan I pulled a pillow over my head. I was almost back asleep when a hand touched my shoulder.

"Tadan?"

"Mmph." It's hard talking when your face is buried in pillows.

"Tadan, how do you feel?"

For that, I would have to take the pillow off. The sunlight hit my eyes harshly, and suddenly the rays were gone. I saw Elrohir standing by the now closed window. I smiled gratefully at him, then rolled over to face Elrond. 

He looked rested, which surprised me, as the chair did not look comfortable. "Try to sit up."

I tried, and found to me surprise that I was only slightly dizzy. I could sit up! I resisted the sudden urge to try to stand. With my luck, I would fall flat on my face.

His hand once more rested on my forehead, and his smile appeared relieved. "Here," he began, holding out his other hand, "see if you can stand. If you cannot, I will catch you."

I was annoyed with my name for a moment. If ever there was a tempting of fate, this was it. But, he asked me to try. After all he had done for me, I could scarcely refuse him. Carefully I pulled back the blankets, only to be reminded how cold mornings in Rivendell were this time of year. However, Elrond was holding out his hand. I reached out and took it, and stood, leaning on him with most of my weight. Carefully I shifted part of my weight away from him, and lessened the death grip I had on his arm. I was standing. For some reason, I felt the scene was considerably lacking in fanfare for this event. 

"Very good! You are improving rapidly, now. Here, climb back into the bad. You still are not dressed for the cold weather." It was then that I noticed I was wearing something new, a green robe over golden trousers. I shot a glance at Elrond as he helped me into my bed. My face, and very likely my ears, turned red. 

"You are flushed. I am sorry, I did not realize this would be overexerting, but I should have." I was quite relieved when he mistook my expression. He tucked the blankets back around me, and it was then that I noticed Luitha wasn't there. 

"Where is Luitha?"

"We knew we would be staying with you all night, in case you did not improve, so Estel took her to a different room. You should see her again soon, but I want you to relax for a while. Lunch shall be brought up shortly." 

"Where are you going?" I asked, and wished I could take it back. He had been the kind host, and now I was expecting him to tell me of his daily doings?

But he was not angry. Instead he smiled softly. "I shall return soon. There are a few people I must converse with." With that, both he and Elrohir left the room. Great, I thought. I'm lonely and bored. With nothing to do but sleep. I relaxed upon the pillows and looked at the ground. Oh, maybe it was patterned? 

------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 "El Luitha?" I felt the pressure of a gentle hand on my shoulder and immediately woke. There was only one person who would call me by that name.

Estel sat next to me on the bed, one hand casually on my arm. He looked even more wearied than last night. 

"Where's Tadan?"

"She is in her room. She just woke, that is why I am here for you."

"She's awake?" I threw back the sheets, leaped to the floor, and immediately yelped at the touch of the cold marble to my foot. 

Estel smiled as I tenderly made my way across the floor to where I had dropped my slippers the night before. He slowly stood and made his way over to the door, holding it open for me. "Are you ready?" 

I frowned as I passed him. "Did you sleep at all last night?"

"Some," he admitted, but he avoided my eyes. Why had he changed so much in the few days since I had met him?

I turned my thoughts to Tadan. As we reached her room, Elrond and Elrohir met us at the door. Elrond seemed even more wearied than Estel, but he at least was smiling.

"She stood on her own just now. Whatever ailed her is now passing. She will be up very soon now." Elrond seemed very pleased, and I grinned at the news. The Elf Lord turned to Estel then. "My son, did you sleep at all?"

"It is no matter," Estel brushed this question off and addressed me. "El luitha, go and greet your friend."

 Elrond's head jerked up a bit in what seemed like startlement, at my name? He glanced sharply at Estel, the same expression on his face I remembered seeing the night before. But I needed no further urging and flung open the door to run inside. With a cry of joy I ran to embrace my friend. How much better she looked! I hadn't realized until that moment how worried I had been. 

----------------------------------------------- 

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I looked up from the floor at a shriek. It was Luitha! In a second she had wrapped me in a bear hug, and both of us were grinning like idiots. I caught sight of amusement on Elrond's face just before he closed the door. So this was why he hadn't made me go back to sleep.

"How are you?" she asked, and I smiled as I sat up without the aid of the pillows.

"I'm doing well. I even stood for a moment! Granted, I was holding Elrond's arm so hard he must have thought I was going to break it, but I stood!" We both just smiled for a minute. Her smile was relieved, while mine was triumphant. I no longer felt so weak, and I wasn't dizzy while I was sitting. 

An Elf quickly came in with lunch and set it down by the bed before leaving quietly. We both began to eat. Between mouthfuls of soup Luitha told me that she had gone to follow Elrond last night only to run into Estel. But then she stopped.

"What is it?"

"He is...different. And, truth be told, I feel different when I'm with him."

"How is he different?"

"I don't know." I was pretty sure she did, but didn't press the subject. After all, I knew that Luitha would tell me soon enough, when she was ready. 

The food was delicious, but I didn't pay a whole lot of attention to it, until it was gone. Then my stomach started to growl. Our eyes met and we burst out laughing. An Elf entered to the sound of our laughter.

"Ah, you have awoken." His voice sounded very familiar, and I had the sense that I had recently heard it, but couldn't place it. "My name is Glorfindel." Ah, so that was it. I dimly remembered phrases and sentences from last night between him and Elrond. I also recalled him laughing at Elrond for some reason. But before I could ask him one of my many questions, he crossed the floor and placed a hand on my forehead. Was every Elf going to do that today? "You are on the road to recovery. Take heed that your health does not harm others." With that odd comment he exited the room smoothly.

Luitha and I were left to stare at each other. 

------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Well, I must say I was rather impressed. Glorfindel! I felt like I should have bowed down and kissed his feet. He certainly seemed like an Elf Lord. But why so haughty? Not a bad sort of haughtiness, but I was not sure I liked the way he looked at Tadan. It was almost like he thought Tadan was some "disturber of the peace."

Our joyous mood was ruined right then, and we stared at each other in silence.

"What was that about?" I asked. Tadan shrugged without responding, and did not meet my eyes. She knew, but I wouldn't press her any more than she pressed me about Estel. I stood up just as Elrohir entered the room. 

"Tadan! Glad to see you moving around! I hate to deprive you of your friend and leave you in extreme boredom, but I need to steal Luitha from you." I looked at Elrohir curiously, gave Tadan a confused look, and walked out of the room with the elf.

"Estel wanted me to take you to the horse pasture," Elrohir explained as we walked down the corridor. "Nearly every Elf here has a horse that agrees to carry him, and Estel asked that I find you one. He said you seemed to like riding yesterday and..."

Elrohir babbled on all the way to the pasture. He seemed so much younger than the other Elves, and I constantly found myself laughing with him instead of cowering before him. 

"Here we are!" We stepped out of the trees into an open meadow. There wasn't a horse in sight. My skepticism must have shown, for Elrohir laughed and said, "Whistle and see what happens! If there is an Elvish horse here that will accept you, he will respond."

I gazed around the small clearing in the trees, cleared my throat, and whistled, well, attempted to whistle. I'd never been much of a good whistler. It took several tries before more than just "Pppffffttt" came out. At last a sharp shrill that surprised even me issued forth, and I stood waiting.

A neigh came from the far side of the field, and a white shaped hurtled towards us, coming to a complete stop just feet from me. Curving its neck, the horse nickered and nuzzled my chest. I laughed and rubbed its soft nose.

Elrohir grinned a smile so wide his whole face lit up. I had never seen an Elf grin before, it seemed so childish and beneath them. But Elrohir did not seem to fit in with my definition of 'Elf' anyway. "This is Asfaloth," he announced. "The swiftest stallion in our pastures. Glorfindel uses him when he needs to deliver an urgent message or whatnot. I did not expect this!" He chortled and ran a hand along the white neck, ending his stroke in a pat.

I just blinked. Asfaloth?

------------------------------------------------ Tadandader HalfElven 

 I watched Elrohir take Luitha out. Now I was alone again. What was I to do? I decided that I wanted to try walking. After all, if I tried it while I was alone, I couldn't fall on my face in front of anyone, then. Slowly I slid the blankets off. The first order of business would be to get something warmer to wear. I cautiously took one step, and collapsed in a heap. That wouldn't do at all. Using the chair to support my weight, I regained my feet. I silently focused on the closet, and stepped away from the chair. I wobbled a little, but I was still upright. After a few minutes of careful steps, I reached the closet.

Going through it I could see that all of the garments inside were meant for us. There were various shades of blue that would show off Luitha's eyes, and several different green and gold variations that would highlight my eyes and hair. Leaning on the door, I pulled out a pants and over-shirt set that looked like it would be warmer. It took another few minutes to make it to the dressing room. Luckily, there was a seat inside, where I relaxed for a moment. Soon I had my warmer outfit on, and was hobbling down the hall. Or rather, the canopied walkway. 

Rivendell was beautiful. It shone like pure gold underneath the sun's warm rays. I paused to just admire the scene. Then I walked on, unsure of where I was going. After what I deemed to be ten more minutes of slow progress, I sat down on a bench outside of a slightly opened door. I was just getting comfortable when I heard Elrond's voice.

"…Elven blood!" Drat, I hated it when I came in on the end of a sentence.

"I know, but she evokes something within me that I cannot deny." Estel's voice. What were they discussing? This could be interesting. 

"You even added to her name? El luitha 'uren? A star enchants my heart?"

"She has not argued against it."

"Be that as it may, I do not think she is strong enough to truly realize your intents. You need to carefully reconsider before you pursue an Elf."

I'd heard enough. I got back to my feet, and as quickly as I dared, hobbled back to the room and laid down. Now that was something to think about. 


	3. The Path is Set

El luitha uren  

 I grabbed hold of Asfaloth's mane and pulled myself up. I had never ridden bareback before, but something urged me on despite the warning I gave myself. Asfaloth whinnied and flew forward. Despite my worries, I had no trouble staying on his unsaddled back. The wind in my face was exhilarating, I felt like I was flying.

We came to a stop near the foot of the walkway to our room. I was panting, and my hands were shakily clutching Asfaloth's mane. I slid off his back and watched as he galloped off. With a sigh, I slowly walked back up the stairs, turned a corner, and ran quite literally into Glorfindel.

"No, no, do not apologize," he smiled at me. What a change from not so long ago. "It was my fault." He continued walking past me, stopped, and called my name.

"Luitha, may I have a word with you?"

I too stopped, puzzled. "Of course. What about?"

He hesitated. "Your friend Tadan. How does she feel about Lord Elrond?"

I had to admit, as surprised by the question as I was, I was not utterly shocked either. "The same as I feel. We are very thankful for his healing skills and indebted to him for his service."

He nodded, as though he expected the answer. "Yes. Is that all?"

"What more do you expect to hear?" I did not like the direction this was going.

"Never mind. Thank you." Glorfindel turned on his heel and strode around the corner. I watched him leave, took a deep breath of air, and continued down the hall. 

------------------------------------------------------ 

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I placed a pillow under my feet and relaxed, humming softly while I considered what I had heard. I was so lost in my thoughts, and my inspection of the floor, that I didn't hear the door creak open. A hand on my shoulder made me jump, startled, and I slipped off the bed with the blankets in a heap. 

"I am so sorry..." Elrond said, but he was fighting a smile as he helped untangle me. I was getting a little frustrated by the fact that he always was helping me. He suddenly stopped when the last blanket was off. "You changed!"

"I was bored, and I wanted to try a little walking. I thought the room would be a safe place to start."

"Yes, that was a smart choice." He careful set the blankets to the side, and wrapped his arms around me to help me up. I stubbornly tried to get up by myself, and slipped, knocking the both of us over, with him on top. I was suddenly very aware of his intense eyes. My mind froze. What does one say when they are on the ground with the most gorgeous Elf they have ever seen on top? Certainly not any of the things that were coming to mind. His lips came very close to mine, and then a throat cleared from the doorway.

"Lord Elrond?" Glorfindel stood there. Of all the Elves, the one that obviously didn't like me had just walked in to see his Lord on top of me. That would help Glorfindel and I get along, I thought sarcastically. Elrond climbed off, though not without some effort, for our feet were tangled in the blankets. I almost laughed until I saw the look of evident disapproval on Glorfindel's face. 

Elrond's hand rested on my cheek for a moment before he left the room. I picked up the blankets, and climbed back into bed. I was exhausted. Then Luitha came in, from where ever Elrohir had taken her. How much should I tell her? I wondered. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Tadan gave me the strangest look as I walked in the room. Was she looking at me? I checked to see if anyone was behind me. Nope, that odd stare was definitely intended for me.

"What's wrong?" I knew I looked flushed from riding still, and my hair probably wasn't... oh, wait. I was an Elf. My hair was probably fine. Well, anyway...

She shook her head. "Nothing, sorry. Thinking about something."

I grinned. "Something happen with your Elf Lord you wanna tell me about?" It was amazing how quickly her face turned red. I laughed. "I'm sorry! I won't tease you about that anymore." She relaxed, but it took awhile for the burn to fade away.

I hopped on the bed beside her, still grinning. "I got a horse! Asfaloth! Elrohir took me out, and I whistled, and he just came running over!"

Tadan grinned too, but her smile faded. "Isn't Asfaloth Glorfindel's horse?"

"Sort of, but not really. Don't worry about it." The look on her face was obvious. She worried about it. It seemed she too had had another strange run-in with Glorfindel.

"Luitha, do you get the impression he doesn't like me?" Ah, there it was. No need to explain who 'he' was. I hesitated before answering. How much should I tell her about what I'd noticed between her and Elrond?

"I do. But I think he's just hesitant and unsure of accepting you right away." She was silent and lost in thought for a moment. Then she gave me that strange look again and opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something.

"What?" Okay, this was irritating. "Tadan, what?" She closed her mouth and shook her head again. I sighed and rolled over to lay down next to her on the bed. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Every time I tried to tell Luitha what happened, the words just flew out of my head. My thoughts were significantly muddled, but I could tell she was getting frustrated.

"Tadan, what?" I shook my head, and she sighed and laid down. Obviously she was planning on staying there until I told her. Finally, I got my thoughts together and was opening my mouth to tell her when Elrohir walked in. But this Elrohir had a sleeve missing from his shirt.

"Luitha, what did you do to Elrohir?" I asked. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head as if to deny any wrongdoing.

The Elf grinned. "I am not Elrohir. I am Elladan." Oh, that kind of explained it, but what happened to his sleeve? He followed our glances at his arm and laughed, a soft melodic sound. "Every now and then my brother and I have a minor tussle, and the loser must bear the marks upon his clothing for a day. It's father's way of punishing us for 'disturbing the peace'." I didn't question this. I was too busy wondering what Elrond's laughter sounded like. 

It hit me all of a sudden. I was no longer just feeling friendly toward our host. When had that changed? Could it have been so subtle that I didn't even notice it? Did he return my feelings? I was snapped out of my reverie by sudden silence.

"Tadan?" Luitha looked concerned again.

"I'm sorry, I'm fine. I was just lost in my thoughts." Neither of them looked as if they believed me. Elladan placed his hand upon my forehead, and paused for a moment.

"You are doing better than even this morning. It could have been a momentary lapse of health. Perhaps I should find my father. He knows more of this than I."

"I'll be fine!" I hadn't meant to say it that quickly. "I mean, don't trouble yourself. I'm sure he had urgent matters to discuss with Glorfindel." Now they were both staring at me.

"With Glorfindel? I shall go see. If he is not occupied, I shall send him." Elladan turned and gracefully left the room. Luitha was still staring at me. I didn't want to see him when I was so uncertain of my thoughts and feelings.

"He..." Agh! How do I tell Luitha? "I...um....Elrond, well.." I trailed off, and then noticed the grin that was spreading over her face. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I just about cheered for joy! I tired to hide the excitement I felt, but couldn't stop the grin from spreading across my face. But did Elrond feel the same way Tadan did? I had caught his eyes on her, but was I just romanticizing about the two of them? 

Poor Tadan, she seemed so confused and bewildered. She struggled to get words out and seemed torn in her decision of what to tell me. Finally, I reached out and pulled her into a tight hug. "I know Tadan." 

She sighed. "What do I do? If he walks in the room, I'll probably fall apart! That's what I always do!" she wailed. "I always manage to make a complete klutz of myself whenever he's around."

I smiled sympathetically at her. "You're still recovering. You're allowed to be weak and accident-prone. He probably likes it when you fall into his arms every three minutes!"

She smiled shyly. "You think so?" I was just about to open my mouth and reply that I knew so, but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Very quietly, it opened and Elrond stepped into the room.

Tadan froze. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Elrond walked in. I couldn't breathe. How did he manage to look so... No. Don't go there. _Concentrate, Tadan,_ I told myself._ Get a grip. He's just here to make sure you don't die. After all, it would probably stain his reputation if one of his patients died that day after he had declared her healed. _I met his eyes, and realized I wasn't able to move. Then Luitha went back to her bed. Was she smiling? Oh no, now I was alone! I blinked, and he was beside my bed. How did he get here so fast? My thoughts were so tumbled about.

"Elladan said you suffered another spell of dizziness," he murmured, and placed his hand on my cheek. Wait a sec, why was it on my cheek? "You aren't breathing well. What is wrong?" 

If I opened my mouth, I probably would scream. That wasn't a very good idea, so I shook my head 'no'. 

His eyes grew more concerned as they searched mine. "Tadan?" Oh my, if he said my name like that again I would probably pass out. I felt like an idiot. He probably felt nothing for me but concern. Breathe, I thought, trying to will myself out of this trance. His other hand went right above my heart. "Relax, I fear your heart is beating too fast for your health right now." As if I didn't know? From the hand on my chest I felt heat radiating out. My heart slowed, and my breathing became a little easier. 

He knelt upon the bed silently, his hand still on my cheek, but the other one on the bed. "Describe how you feel."

Right. How does, 'I feel like kissing you right now' sound? There was no way I was going to say that, not in a million lifetimes. Which I probably now had, I realized. "I don't know." Now that was brilliant, I told myself. I sound like a confused kindergarten student! 

Suddenly his eyebrow flickered up, and his eyes changed. I had no idea what that meant. "I see," he said. What did he see? Then his lips brushed mine, and his other hand wrapped around me. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I left the room the minute Elrond walked in. If he saw the grin that split my face, poor Tadan would never live it down.

So I left the room, but that didn't mean I didn't stay right by the door, one eye pressed against the open crack.

They spoke in murmuring voices, and Elrond moved to block my view with his back. Darn it you silly Elf Lord! MOVE! Then the murmuring stopped and Elrond, by some miracle, moved and...

He kissed her! Oh Tadan! I had to use every strain of willpower I possessed to keep from shrieking and leaping in the air. I felt filled with such energy and laughter. I closed the door quietly and pelted down the hall as fast as my legs would carry me, lifting up my skirt as I ran. I was still in a dress, but with breeches underneath, that was bearable at least. Shoot, why did even the _men_ have to wear skirts around here?

I flew down the corridor and leaped off the steps into the grass. With a shrill whistle, Asfaloth came racing through the trees, answering with a ringing trumpet call of his own. I grabbed hold of his mane, flung myself on his back, and he took off racing into the trees again.

His mane whipped against my face. My own curls flew streaming behind me. Fabric and parts of my clothing fluttered in the wind. How alive I felt! I laughed, and Asfaloth dipped his head and laughed along with me as his hooves pounded into the dirt and he weaved among the trees. 

We were coming to a clearing, I could see it ahead of me. The moment we reached the edge of the trees and broke into the sunlight, a shape appeared from nowhere on my right. I looked over to see Estel and Roheryn flying beside me, joy as I had never see before in him written on the man's face. Roheryn curved his neck and sped up to fly race alongside Asfaloth. 

I laughed again and cried "Noro lim Asfaloth!" The horse trumpeted and I felt the power in his legs as he soared on. Roheryn picked his pace up as well, and Estel's face was full of laughter and mirth as he rode beside me. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

He pulled away after the kiss, his eyes questioning me. There was only one answer I felt like giving him. I grasped the collar of his robe and kissed him back. Perhaps I pulled him back to me too hard, or perhaps it was on purpose that he fell on top of me again. The second kiss was long, and absolutely magnificent. He knew what he was doing. 

One of his hands stroked through my short hair. This was the only time I could think of where I regretted it's shortness. I had enough time to gather my breath before his hand wrapped around my head and brought my mouth back up to his. I was probably enjoying this a little too much, but I didn't care. His other hand stroked my neck softly. 

Meanwhile, my hand was in his magnificent hair. It was soft and cool, and very long. I closed my eyes to enjoy his mouth upon my face. And then I couldn't breathe. I choked. Both of his hands were on my forehead in a flash. "Tadan? Breathe!" His voice was urgent, but I couldn't. It wasn't like earlier, when he had entered the room. Now it felt like a vise had gripped my heart and lungs. I opened my eyes. That was a big mistake. The room started spinning, and I closed my eyes again to try to save some of my strength.

"Elrohir!" Elrond called. Something was wrong, very wrong. Footsteps sounded. "Find Glorfindel, now! Send him here!" His hands moved to my chest, but there was nothing romantic to it now. "No," he whispered. "No." It felt as if he was forcing my lungs to breathe.

The door burst open, and two more hands landed on my face. "What happened?" Glorfindel sounded accusing. 

"Her heart seized."

"Obviously, but why? We healed it. Something had to have happened for this to occur!"

"I kissed her." The room was silent except for my gasping breaths and the deep breathing of the Elves. 

"A simple kiss would not have..."

"There was nothing simple about it."

"I see." What was it with Elves and seeing everything? Ah, good, it looked like my sense of humor was still alive and kicking. "Her body responded and her heart could not take the strain."

"Evidently." The tightness was fading. I was starting to breathe on my own again. 

"She must rest. I hear she was walking today as well. No doubt that added to the strain." One hand came off my chest, as my breathing returned to normal. 

"No doubt." What, was this the 'see how much we can avoid the topic that's staring us in the face' competition? Elrond was waiting for Glorfindel to say something else, and Glorfindel was waiting for Elrond to say it. Both hands left my forehead. 

"It is taken care of." And it was. I no longer felt any of the tightness. But one hand still rested on me. "Elrond?" Ah, here it came. 

"I care for her, Glorfindel. She strikes me to the soul with her eyes," how did one do that? "and her mind is clever and enticing." Oh, my mind is enticing? Is that all? I felt a little bit annoyed. Then I realized this was probably as mushy as Elrond ever got. 

"After only a few short days, you already know enough about her to do this?"

"It feels as though I have known her my whole life." It sounded so honest, I would have kissed him had I been able. 

A heavy sigh came from Glorfindel. "If that is how you feel, only you would truly know. But, be careful. Not only is she too weak for anything, well, strenuous, at the moment, you do not know all that much about her."

"I shall be careful." Footsteps told me that one had left the room. By the hand still on my chest I knew that Glorfindel had exited. I felt the bed move, and then his hand came off me. Was he getting up? Then his arm wrapped around me softly, and he pulled me to him. "Ah, Tadan. When you wake, I shall be here." 

I fell into a deep sleep, full of dreams of Elrond Peredhil. 

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El luitha uren  

 The sun was high when we reached the other side of the meadow and shot into the trees, our pace never slackening. The world seemed bright and new and fully of joy. We weaved in and out of the trees, flying so swiftly that I no longer could clearly see the path in front of me. Indeed, I could no longer even see the world around me. I was conscious only of Asfaloth's pounding hooves and streaming mane, and of Estel riding beside me.

At last, when we had traveled in a complete circle and come back to Rivendell, our headlong rush slowed into a steady trot. Asfaloth and Roheryn halted in the shade of the trees, their voices whinnying with laughter. I slid off the white back to land smoothly on the ground. Strange, I had never been able to do that before without a jolt at the landing. I kept one hand on Asfaloth's neck and looked up to see Estel moving toward me, eyes sparkling with laughter.

"I've never seen you like this before, my lord." I told him as I smiled up at him.

"Nor I you," he replied. "But I saw you race out of your room and followed. Tell me, my lady, what has put such joy into your heart?"

I never doubted that I could tell him. "Lord Elrond and Tadan! I saw them together in her room and ran off before they heard me laughing in joy in the hallway!"

"Truly?" This news seemed to gladden him even more. "It is about time! Ah El luitha, the world is young and fair, let us show it how happy we are!" He picked me up and swung me in a circle, laughing merrily.

"Luitha!" Elrohir came charging toward us on his own steed. "I have searched everywhere for you! Tadan was ill again!"

The smile immediately faded from my face. Estel set me down, solemn now as well.

"She had trouble breathing and her heart stopped for a moment. Father was concerned the same would happen to you and sent me to find you."

"I am fine," I assured him, urgently remounting Asfaloth. "Take me to her!" 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 I opened my eyes to see his staring into mine. "Tadan," he whispered softly. He was wrapped around me, holding me as if he was afraid to let go. 

"I'm so sorry."

"No, you have nothing to be sorry about!" He stroked my lips gently. "I had let myself forget of your condition, and now you have paid the price. It is I who should be sorry." I laid my head against his broad chest, too weak to do much else. 

A thought struck me. "Why am I so weak?"

"Neither Glorfindel nor myself had the strength to heal you and restore your strength. Therefore, you are healed, and need to rest quite a bit." His voice rumbled through his body, and I smiled. 

"I do not mind resting when you are here." Oops, maybe that was a bit too forward. And then again, he was holding me. 

"Thank you. I do not mind being here." I looked up to meet his eyes again. They were sincere and warm. He began stroking my head softly, and I closed my eyes. I intended to go to sleep, but was startled when the door banged open. I was wide awake in a flash. 

"Tadan! Are you....." Luitha trailed off. Maybe she was startled to see Elrond there? I didn't think so. After all, she left the room when he came in last time. 

"Luitha. She will be all right. She just needs to rest."

"What happened?" Estel came striding in. 

"She was not up to strenuous activity. I should not have pushed her."

I moaned in protest. It wasn't his fault. Well, maybe it was just a little. If he wasn't so darned exciting, this wouldn't of happened. His breath caught as I moaned, and his hand that had been underneath me came to my cheek tenderly. "Rest, Tadan." I drifted off, not wanting to. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Tadan! Oh my friend! What had happened to her since we'd first arrived at Rivendell? She seemed so weak and tired lying in Elrond's arms. I felt the urge to cry and bit my lip to keep from doing so. The joy and happiness that had filled my heart had disappeared now, and I wondered yet again at the changes that had come over us in the past few days.

I stood under the trees now, walking next to Asfaloth and watching the sun dip below the horizon. How quickly the day had gone. My thoughts constantly returned to Tadan, as much as I tried to keep from worrying.

"She is with Elrond," came the low voice behind me. I turned to see Estel step out of the shadows. "That is the best thing for her now."

"Will she ever be the same?" I tried not to blink in an attempt to keep the tears at bay.

"Yes. But it will take time." He frowned and took my shoulders in his hands. "Why do you keep torturing yourself, El luitha?" he asked quietly. "What happened was not your fault."

"You don't know that!" I cried. "If I hadn't left her to get that stupid coke she wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I do not know what this 'coke' is that you speak of, but you are not responsible El luitha. You could not be. You love her too much."

"Then why do I feel like it's my fault?" I asked miserably, looking at my feet. 

Estel did not answer for a long time. Finally, "Come with me," he commanded, taking my hand and leading me away from the trees.  

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 Once more I awoke to his eyes on me. "Aren't you going to sleep?" I asked quietly.

"Probably not for a while yet. Someone must make sure that your heart does not stop again. Are you so eager to get rid of me?"

"Never. But my health has wearied you, and I don't want you to have to refrain from rest while you watch me."

His lips brushed my forehead softly. "As I said earlier, I do not mind." His arms were so warm. I felt so safe with him right there. My hand went back to his soft hair. I liked how it felt, sliding through my fingers. His breathing changed, but I didn't notice it until one of his hands began to softly stroke my back. Our eyes met.

"You should not do anything strenuous." His voice was serious, but his eyes... now there was a different story.

"How is this strenuous?" I asked with my most innocent voice. 

His lips curled into a smile, and then he slowly kissed me. 

I moved to kiss him back, but he drew out of my reach. I looked at him questioningly. "Lay back." I did, confused. Surely this was what he wanted? Then he kissed me again, and I realized what he meant. I softly continued the kiss. 

Suddenly I stopped. His eyes looked intensely concerned and his hand moved until I said, "Luitha! She.."

"Do not worry about your friend. Estel is with her." His eyes gave double meaning to what he was saying, and then his next kiss wiped all thoughts from my head. 

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El luitha uren  

 We walked silently for what seemed like ages. The last rays of the dying sun dipped below the horizon, and Rivendell and the surrounding woods were immersed in the darkness. At last Estel came to a sudden stop. I lifted my eyes from the path and looked up to see Earendil shining directly in front of me. It's light cut through the surrounding darkness and gave light to even the deepest places in the trees. 

My eyes moved to Estel, still standing quietly beside me, his face was lifted up to the Star and his eyes were closed in concentration. Weariness and care once more lined his face. How young and old he seemed at the same time.

"What troubles you Estel?" I asked quietly. The water of the Bruinen chimed and trickled in the distance, and the wind fluttered and rustled the leaves above us. They were the only sounds other than my voice and our quiet breathing.

Estel smiled sadly. "It is no matter." He did not look at me.

Why was everyone refusing to talk to me? I grew hurt and angry. Was I so ignorant? I turned and began to walk away, but Estel caught my arm.

"El luitha," he said urgently, I turned back to see the pain in his eyes. "I did not mean to hurt you, nor turn you away," he told me softly. "But I do not want to burden you..."

"I am your friend," I interrupted. "Let me share your burden." The relief was plain in his eyes. "Talk to me, please Estel."

He let go of my arm and turned back to face Earendil. "My name is not Estel," he began. I caught my breath, knowing what was coming.

"Then who are you?"

He swallowed and spoke the name slowly, as though saying for the first time. "Aragorn. Son of Arathorn." I closed my eyes and concentrated on breathing. 

_Isildur's heir and heir to the throne of Gondor._ The words ran automatically through my mind. So his destiny had been revealed at last. I looked at his hand. The Ring of Barahir was there, on his forefinger. How had I missed it before? Was this what Elrond had so urgently needed to talk to him about?

"This troubles you?" I could not understand his sadness.

"I am not who you think I was."

"You have not changed, Estel."

"Aragorn," he mumbled.

"You will always be Estel to me," I told him, "No matter what others may call you." 

He turned to me, the starlight reflecting off one side of his face and leaving the other in shadow. I caught my breath again. His eyes mirrored the light of Earendil itself, an endless blue filled with sadness that sought my own, questioning.

"You will always be Hope to me." 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 "But wait!" I said. Elrond stopped and met my eyes. "I thought you did not approve of them together, much as I fear Glorfindel does not approve of us!"

He sighed. "He and I have spoken at some length upon it. He has many duties to fulfill, and I fear that Luitha might distract him from those." I waited patiently for him to continue. "He has a destiny. He is fated...." With a smile he stopped. "Yes, that is the word. He is fated to be the next king of Gondor. That will take much effort on his part."

I tried to pull away. As weak as I was, I couldn't move much. But I could glare. "Tadan, what is wrong?"

"You assume she would be a distraction. Would I not also be a distraction to your rule of Rivendell?" 

"No. It is different. You see, he must establish his rule, while I have ruled here for a very long time. Few Elves would break the rules, while among humans it is almost a popular thing. I am not against your friend in any way at all. Rather, I do not think it would be fair to her if they were to begin a relationship."

"You think wrong."

"Tadan, you do not have all of the years that I do. Nor do I think you have the experience of ruling a people as I have. Once you have gotten to my position, you would understand." His hand gently brought my face up so he could look me in the eyes. "We shall see what happens. Perhaps I have misjudged. Now, are you still mad at me?"

"I wasn't mad, just annoyed."

"Are you still annoyed at me?" He traced my ear, almost idly. 

"No." 

"Good. Because you were so tense when you were annoyed." 

"What, being annoyed doesn't make me more beautiful?"

"No, your smile does that." I smiled at him. Somehow he already knew just what I wanted to hear. His mouth went to my pointed ear. 

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El luitha uren  

 He reached up to caress my cheek, but he pulled his hand away as soon as it touched my skin. I held my breath. Why was he so hesitant? What was holding him back?

"Estel?" I asked. "Aragorn?" His eyes held me, begging and pleading as I knew my own were, but for what? I took his hand, still held near my face in indecision, and kissed the palm. It was shaking. So was I, I realized in surprise.

"Luitha, I cannot, I..." His eyes grew even brighter, as though tears were about to fall from them. He swallowed. "You are Elvish, and I..."

Ah. That was the problem. He was human and I, strangely enough, was not. I silently cursed whatever fates had arranged this, stroking his fingers with my own.

"Elrond warned me, and he is right," Aragorn looked at the ground. 

"Is he?" I asked softy. I was shaking so hard I thought I'd fall. Aragorn met my eyes again and seemed to sense this. He moved closer, one hand on my waist, the other reached up to stroke my hair and tuck a curl behind my ear. 

My pointy ear, curse it. All my life I had desired to be an Elf. And now, I wished for nothing else other than to be human. I leaned into his hand and closed my eyes. It felt warm against my face. I hadn't realized how cold the night had become.

"Aragorn, I was not always an Elf." His head tilted, and he regarded me quietly, waiting for me to finish. I looked away, unsure of what to say or even if I should say it. "In my land, I was human. Elves did not exist. I do not know how Elvish blood got into my veins, nor how long I will remain this way." Would he believe me?  "I do not care what consequences come of this. I do not care that you will one day be king and I a simple Elf maiden from Rivendell that once appeared from nowhere." Aragorn did not twitch a muscle. Had I said too much? What had I done?

"You did not come from nowhere," he whispered. "I think you fell from the stars, and that is why your heart lies with them. And I also care not for consequences, El luitha uren."

He tipped my chin up, wrapped an arm around my waist, and enclosed both of us in his cloak. My last thought, before his lips closed on mine and we became lost to the world, was of Earendil glowing a pure white in the sky above us. 


	4. Realizations

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Before we knew it, the sun had risen. I lay peacefully in Elrond's arms, just gazing into his intense eyes, deep as the swirling oceans. He glanced down at my body silently, then raised his gaze to my eyes. "When you are stronger.."

"When I am stronger, the sun will not rise to find me still wearing my clothes." I began to blush, feeling like I was being to forward, but he grinned. 

"Very true." At least we had the kissing down. I relaxed, just listening to the sounds of the world as it awoke. I suddenly felt very relieved that Luitha hadn't come back in last night. But where was she?

"Do not worry about Luitha. From what I know from her and you, she will be fine."

Now, how had he known what I was thinking? 

I hadn't thought it was possible, but his grin grew wider. "Elves have the ability to read other's minds from time to time. And when one is weak or tired, they accidentally broadcast what they are thinking."

I turned a very vivid shade of red. "When they're weak?" I couldn't continue. Had every Elf in Rivendell heard how I felt about him?

"Shhhhh, do not worry about that. I cloaked what you were thinking tonight. None save me heard your thoughts." 

I'd been weak most of the time I was here! Probably every Elf still in Middle Earth knew my thoughts. I squeezed my eyes shut and moaned. This was awful. Then a thought struck me. Had Elladan known what I was thinking when he mentioned his father?

Elrond's eyes were now laughing at me. Yep. Elladan knew. "But," Elrond began, "if it is any consolation, he did not tell me until after you were healed yesterday. And by then I already knew."

"When you went to kiss me the first time, was I broadcasting?" I felt like banging my head into a wall. Hard.

"No. You had regained your strength. I was acting purely on instinct." Well, at least there was some relief. "However, when both Erestor and I asked about you on that day on the porch, you were suddenly afraid. That was why I pushed you to give an answer. But you did not tell me the whole of it, I believe."

I stared at him. I had meant to figure out a way to tell the whole story, but my health had gotten in the way. Finally, I began. "Luitha and I come from a very far land. In fact, it is so far away that I do not know how one could get back. It is the same land that Tolkien is from." I stopped as he nodded, understanding flashing into his eyes. "My parents were human. I do not know how I am an Elf. I do not know if I will be here permanently, and am unsure whether or not I would want to be."

His eyes held mine for quite some time. Suddenly, I realized I could hear his thoughts. _She is not sure, what if... _His eyes widened. "You just entered my mind!" 

"I'm sorry, I did not mean to.."

"Be at ease. I am not angry with you. I was merely shocked." He kissed me gently. "Soon, you shall be strong enough to keep your thoughts to yourself. Until then, relax." I did, and stared up into his wonderful eyes.

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El luitha uren  

 I was lying in easy sleep when my peaceful dreams were abruptly disturbed. A ray of sunlight, darnitall, was pointed directly at my eye. Again. Did it never fail to miss? I needed to start checking my orientation before I fell asleep and make sure my back was facing east.

Well, I was awake now. I opened both eyes, sighed and squinted at the yellow sun just peeping over the horizon, and rolled over.

Aragorn's blue eyes stared back at me. A shock ran through me, and as the events of the previous night came flooding back into my memory, I smiled.

Aragorn leaned over to kiss my forehead gently and lay back down, one arm bent behind his head, the other wrapped around me. The wind blew. I suddenly became aware of the crisp chill of the dawn and snuggled closer to his chest.

We were outside still, in the same place we had stood last night, stretched out underneath an ancient oak tree. Aragorn was using one of the roots as a pillow, I noticed, and I commented, "That can't be comfortable."

He smiled. How rare and beautiful his smiles were. "I am used to it. It is better than a rock at least." Strange how different he seemed this morning. Last night I had gotten a glimpse of the nobility and honor within him, and the uncertainty and insecurity he allowed few to witness. But now, he seemed simply an ordinary man.

He sighed and stretched his legs. "Shall we head back now, El luitha?" I'd never realized before how much I enjoyed hearing him say my name.

"What will you tell Elrond and Glorfindel?"

His face hardened for a moment. "I know not. Most likely nothing unless he asks." He sighed again. In one swift movement, he rolled off his back and stood up, holding a hand out to me. Wordlessly, I took it, and he pulled me to my feet. 

One shrill whistle and Roheryn came trotting gaily up, tossing his head. Aragorn lifted me up and placed me on the horse's back, then leapt up behind me. He wrapped an arm around my waist and grabbed a handful of mane with the other. Quickly, he bent around me and kissed my cheek. 

At least, he tried. I turned my head just as he leaned around, and his lips fell on my mouth instead. My heart stopped for a moment, my breath caught, and all the emotions and feelings from the last night came rushing back once more. 

His kiss was long and sweet, and I was reluctant to let go and breathe. His eyes conveyed the same thought as he released me at last, and for a long while I was caught up in the magnificent depth of them.

I finally became aware of the crick in my neck and the painful twist in my back caused by the awkward position, and turned to face forward again. Without a word, Aragorn kneed Roheryn forward, and the horse took off at a slow walk back to Rivendell.

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 After a while of lying like that, Elrond had gotten up. "I shall be back soon, Tadan. I am hungry, so I shall have food sent up here for us. I also must change." A finger stroked my cheek softly before he left. I sighed. If only I could have stayed in his arms all day, too. 

I heard someone approaching, no, two someones. A knock sounded on the door before Luitha came in, carefully glancing at me. Her face brightened for a moment, and then she looked around. "Where's Elrond?" she asked.

Then a voice came from behind her. "El luitha, if you do not move out of the doorway, I cannot come in." She gave a little start, and moved out of the way to let Estel in. "Hello, Tadan, how are you today?"

I smiled. This was a pleasant change. Normally he nodded to me and seemingly just paid attention to Luitha. "I'm doing fairly well, thank you, Estel." He nodded and set Luitha's cloak on the bed before kissing her and leaving. I raised an eyebrow at her when he exited. 

She didn't meet my eyes for a minute, then she looked up and opened her mouth, just as Elrond entered with a full tray. Her mouth snapped shut. I felt a little frustrated, and he looked at me, a curious glance. Oh, he heard my frustration. I needed to learn how to control that. 

Elrond smiled at Luitha. "Come, won't you join us for breakfast?"

A smile passed over her lips, too, and she pulled the chair up beside my bed. For a second I wasn't sure which one of them was going to use the chair, than, with a grin at me, Luitha plopped down into it. I was grinning now, too. In a moment, she and I were going to be rolling on the floor, laughing. 

Perhaps Elrond sensed the hilarity radiating from the two of us. If so, he gave no sign, but calmly leaned over me to arrange my pillows so that they supported me. Then he sat down on the bed, passed me a plate, and we began to eat. 

The three of us were oddly silent, but it was not a tense silence. If anything, we were all comfortable enough to merely enjoy each other's company without conversation. 

When breakfast was done, it seemed as if Elrond wanted to say something, but then Elladan (I think) came to the door. 

"Father, Erestor wishes to see you. Something about dinner tonight, I believe." Elrond nodded to Luitha, gently kissed my cheek, and left with his son, leaving me alone with Luitha, whom I was going to pump for some info. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Elrond shut the door, the latch clicked, and silence fell over the room. Tadan and I stared at each other, seeing who would break first.

A cricket chirped outside.

A horse whinnied in the distance.

Elves sang in the forest.

"WELL?!" and we both cracked at the same time. We stared again at each other. I was not going to be beaten, and I was determined to pry first.

"He kissed you," she said. Shoot, I lost.

"Yes, he did." I replied evenly. Silence again. But I couldn't hold it in. A smile spread across my face, one of those secret smiles that I hated smiling because it made it perfectly obvious I was hiding something. Tadan smiled back, and it was all over from there. We collapsed on the bed laughing hysterically and gasping for air.

"No, no, don't," I managed to gasp out, "you'll hurt yourself or..."

She waved me off. "I'm fine, really! I'm so much better than now!"

She did look better. I was so relieved to be able to laugh with her. And I jumped on the opportunity.

"He kissed you." I informed her.

"Yes he did," Tadan replied evenly.

"I don't mean just now. I mean last night."

"You saw that?"

"I was in the room for the fist part of it."

"Oh." She was silent again.

"Well?" _Come on Tadan, I'm dying here _I thought fiercely. She raised an eyebrow.

"He spent the night here. We kissed. Glorfindel's not happy and the entire elvish community knows about us. What more do you want to know?"

I stared at her in shock. "You read my thoughts!" 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I grinned. Should I tell her about my new trick, or should I let her suffer? I decided to let her suffer. 

"Perhaps."

"No, you read them! I know you did!"

"So what happened last night between you and Estel?"

"You read my mind!" Was she not going to be dissuaded?

"He kissed you. Estel kissed you on the way out. What happened?"

"How did you read my mind? Did Elrond show you? That isn't fair!" And now it was her turn to broadcast._ I don't know how much to tell her, how much is safe. I don't want Estel to get in trouble with Elrond._

I smiled enigmatically. "So, why would Estel be in trouble with Elrond?"

The expression on her face was priceless. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 Where in Middle-Earth did she picked up that particular talent? So unfair. So incredibly unfair. I could feel the pressure of her eyes on me and bent my own gaze to the ground. I suddenly felt tongue-tied.

"Aragorn kissed me... last night," I finally admitted.

She raised an eyebrow. "Aragorn?"

"He has the ring of Barahir now." I did not say the rest of what I thought, but I knew helplessly that Tadan could hear anyway. _He knows of his destiny now. He knows his true name. He knows that he will be King one day. He knows that he is mortal and I am not, and that anything between us cannot be possible. And I love him anyway and I don't know if he feels the same way. I don't know what happened last night or how I feel or what he thinks..._

My thoughts were running in circles and I hung my head in shame. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Oh boy, I had teased her too much. So serious her thoughts were, and painful too. I leaned over and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Luitha." She didn't look up. "Luitha." I said again. Her head came up. Now what do I say? I was lost. I've always been the one with the joke, and sometimes it was hard to be serious. 

"I know he feels the same." Her eyebrows rose inquiringly. "I felt it when he kissed you before he left. He knows his destiny, yes, but he also knows his heart. You are in it, Luitha, just as deeply as he is in your heart. There is no reason to feel shame." I pulled her into a hug, which it looked like she needed. Her shoulders shook. Did her pain run that deeply? I looked at the tears that slowly fell down her face. Then she blocked me from her mind. How, I had no idea. But how in Middle Earth was I supposed to help her when I didn't even know what she was thinking anymore?

Time to go back to the tried and true methods. "Shhh, Luitha, what's wrong?" Then her shields went down. I could see her worry about Estel, her fear for me, and her longing for home balanced against her longing for Aragorn. "Oh, Luitha. I'm fine, so is Estel. And home is a worry that neither of us have any control over. If we stay here for the rest of our lives, than we'll be homesick from time to time, and know that our families miss us." 

Oh, great. Now I was tearing up. I rarely cried, but it seemed my eyes felt like making an exception. "And if we go home and never see Aragorn or.. or, or never see Elrond, leave Elrond behind..." Now the floodgates opened. How could I leave him? And how could Luitha leave Estel? An odd thought hit me, as I wondered how we must look, sobbing and clinging to each other as if the other was our only hope left. 

Then a thought filled with more pain hit me. If Luitha fell for a mortal, she would only have a mortal lifespan, while I would far outlive her! I gasped, the impact of that thought hit me hard. I knew I broadcast it without even thinking about it. Had Luitha heard it? I didn't know. But probably all of the Elves in Rivendell, and Mirkwood, for that matter, heard me. I started to sob. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

_ If Luitha falls for a mortal, she will only have a mortal lifespan, while I will far outlive her.._ Tadan's thought reached me the same moment it reached her. I'd already realized that I would outlive Aragorn, but it never occurred to me that if I somehow were given the choice and gave up my immortality, Tadan would outlive me. Was this the warning Elrond had given Aragorn? 

"Oh Tadan!" Tadan held me tightly, and I felt her body shake with silent sobs. The two of us cried for what seemed like hours, holding each other, sitting on the bed with the sunlight streaming through the window. How had we gotten into this mess? My heart ached like it had never hurt before, my head pounded because I was crying so hard. 

I was so confused. I did not want to leave Aragorn. I did not understand the emotions running through me. Why did my heart stop every time our eyes met? This whole mess was my fault, I realized. If I hadn't been such a ninny and fallen for Estel, we would never have had this problem. I hung my head and cried even harder.

Finally, when all the tears were spent and we were both exhausted from weeping, we released each other. I sniffled. Tadan sniffled back. 

We were both looking hopelessly at each other when Elrond walked back into the room. I hid my face. This was all my fault. What would he think now? 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I didn't even notice Elrond's presence until I felt a hand on my shoulder. I sniffled and looked up. His eyes were grave. I suddenly remembered my accidental broadcast. His other hand was on Luitha's shoulder, and silently he stood there, as if trying to ease the pain. 

When he finally spoke, I jumped, startled. His voice was low and soothing. "This is why I tried to dissuade Estel. I know the pain that the choice can bring. And now the both of you are subject to it." Luitha and I sniffled at the same time. Amusement tinged his eyes for a moment. Very gently he dried a tear that was sliding down my face. 

"Luitha, there are many male Elves who would eagerly court you. Is your heart truly set on Estel?"

I couldn't look at her. Luckily, she answered out loud. "I don't know." It was a whisper, barely audible over my sniffles and the songs of the birds. 

"Perhaps the three of us should go out to the porch for a while. Fresh air tends to clear one's thoughts." Luitha nodded. Elrond gave her a hand up, and then picked me up. I almost protested, but then realized I would probably fall over, again, should I attempt to walk. Crying was exhausting. 

Once upon the porch, we were silent, studying the lovely city beneath us.

-----------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 How much better off would I be without emotions, I wondered. The blanket wrapped around me was warm and nice protection from the wind that always seemed to blow through the valley. My eyelids drooped as I turned my focus inward.

What exactly were my feelings for Estel? Could it just be momentary lust? How did one distinguish lust from love? I had never really known either before. But as I closed my eyes and thought of Estel staring back at me, my heart pounded faster and the world swam. Was that supposed to happen?

I absently watched the leaves blow in the summer breeze. How beautiful Rivendell was when the world was covered in the greens and yellows of summer. Summer...

I sat up straighter. Summer? Had it not been spring when Tadan and I first arrived? I remembered the mall vaguely, and the thunderstorm that had raged outside. A late May thunderstorm. How long had we been in Rivendell? I suddenly could not count the days. 

Panicking, I showed Tadan my observations via our new telepathic ability. Yet why should we be surprised? Days to Elves were months to humans, how important was time here in Rivendell after all?

"I have sent Estel away," came Elrond's deep voice. My heart froze. "If he is the start on the path of his destiny, he must begin soon. He has been a Ranger for many years now, and it is time he expanded upon that."

I couldn't breathe. My head spun.

"He will only be away for a few months. But I hope that in that time both you and he realize the ramifications of your relationship together. And I hope that you, Luitha, meet some of the Elves around here."

I was immediately angry. Was he trying to sell me off to whatever Elf would take me? Was I just to give my heart to another, as simple as that?

"I did not mean it in that manner," Elrond told me softly. "But perhaps time apart will clear up the emotions between you both. He will only be gone a few days." 

Had he heard my conversation with Tadan? Had he realized what I had just now discovered about time? I swallowed to keep the tears from falling, stood up, cast the blanket aside, strode out off the porch and into the comfort of my room, and cried. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I watched Luitha leave, and called after her, but she must not have heard me. Elrond sat down beside me and leaned forward as if to kiss me.

"How dare you?" I was angry, and I pulled away from him. There was no way he was going to touch me. 

He looked surprised, then understanding. How could he understand? He had just hurt my friend even more! Elrond sighed. "It is best for the both of them. Believe me, Tadan when I say that, and also trust me when I tell you that it is best for you."

"How can you know what is best for them? Or for me? You've only known me for such a short time, and you presume too much!"

His eyes looked deeply into mine. "When he comes back, he will be more aware of himself, and how his life should go. When he comes back, Luitha will have had time to fully analyze her feelings for him, without being distracted by his presence. When he comes back, you will most likely know what route Luitha intends to take with her life, and will have time to prepare for it."

It made such sense, but he had still hurt Luitha! "Why couldn't you let them say goodbye? What if something happens, and they never see each other again?"

"Glorfindel has foreseen his return. Estel, no, Aragorn, will be back. Can you not see that I have your best interests at heart? Dear Tadan, I do not enjoy seeing you hurting. Luitha now has time to think, and spend with you alone. Should she chose to stay on this side of the ocean with him, you will at least have these days, months with her." Carefully he brushed back one of my bangs from my eyes. 

"Please do not be angry with me. Tadan?"

I didn't answer him. I couldn't. I would start crying all over again if I opened my mouth right now.

"Oh, my Tadan." His whisper was soft as his arms found their way around me, and he held me there. I couldn't help it. My shoulders shook as I began to sob. He drew my head to his shoulder, and my tears poured onto him. 

"Why?" I asked through the tears. "My heart's desire was met, and now must I pay the horrible price?" Much to my thankfulness, he did not ask what I meant. He only held me until I was cried out once more. Then he quietly gathered me into his arms, and walked down the hall. I was too lost in my thoughts to notice us pass my room. Instead, he turned down a new hall, one I had not noticed before, and climbed up a staircase. Shifting my weight, he opened a smooth, carefully carved, wooden door. We went in, and he set me upon the large bed that was there. It was then I noticed my surroundings.

"Where...?"

"This is my room. Rest, Tadan." He performed the now familiar action of putting his hand on my forehead and inducing sleep. I fell into a fitful and tormented sleep. 


	5. I shot him TWICE?

El luitha uren   

I didn't know how long I lay sobbing on the bed. I passed between waking and sleeping, between shade and sunlight, and watched the leaves blow in the breeze outside my room. It was eerily quiet, the stillness broken only by the gasps of breath I took.

The sun was still high in the sky when my last tear had dried on my face. My head was pounding, I was shaky and weak. This was ridiculous.

_Stop it,_ I told myself_. Get a grip. You've never been one to cry yourself sick before, and this had better be the only time you do so. What have you gotten out of this? Only the knowledge that Kleenex does not exist on Middle-Earth. _

_Estel will be back. He has not left forever. And while he's gone, take advantage of his absence and figure out what you really feel for him. Stop sobbing like a baby, get up, and DO something._

I got up. I didn't particularly feel like meeting anyone at the moment, so I grabbed a warm cloak and quietly slipped out the door. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 When I woke up finally, no one was around. I studied my surroundings. Elrond's room was a library, and radiated a faint warmth that reminded me of him. Carefully I slipped out of the bed and crept to the door, relieved that I was able to walk once more. I peeked cautiously into the hall, and was happy that it was empty. Quietly I slipped away from the room, for I needed some time to think.

Before I knew it I was lost. But I didn't mind. Rivendell was beautiful, and the soft afternoon breezes were soothing. A soft bird song filled the air as I wandered about the woods on the outskirts of the city. I found a nicely shaped rock and sat down, watching the river pass. 

Soon I grew aware of a presence behind me. I turned to find Glorfindel.

"Um, hello," I said, unsure of why he was there. He squatted on the ground next to my rock.

"Hello." An uneasy silence hung there for a minute. "I may have given you a bad first impression." Oh, now that was the understatement of the year!

"Perhaps." There, that was properly enigmatic for an Elf.

"It is not that I dislike you. I am concerned for my friend whom I have known for thousands of years. He was hurt not too long ago when the one who had become as a father to him, Gil-Galad, died." Not too long ago? I suddenly had insight as to the views of Elves on time. "I do not want him to be hurt again."

That made sense. "So we declare peace?"

He smiled. "What do you intend towards Lord Elrond?"

I knew it couldn't be that easy. But a girl could hope. "I don't know. I came out here to clear my head and think...in peace."

He looked at me, as if analyzing every piece of data he could. I had a feeling he could tell me how much I weighed, and what I'd eaten last. "You don't know. And yet you flirt with him. This does not add up."

I sighed. As if Glorfindel would understand what I felt. His smile widened. "Try me, Tadan." Drat, I hated it when I broadcasted.

"He...well..." I trailed off. It wasn't easy, putting what I felt about Elrond into words. "I feel like I am....whole...if that's the right word...when I am with him. But at the same time, I am Luitha's friend, and whatever her choice is will affect me. I don't know if I'm being clear. I'm sorry, my mind is so muddled." I looked down at the ground, ready for Glorfindel to whip out a sword and declare that I was violating his Lord's honor. Instead, he placed a hand underneath my chin and tilted my face up. 

For a while he searched my eyes. Then he sighed. "I fear I misjudged you. Many females have thrown themselves at his feet, and few of them saw him. Instead, they saw his position, his renown. I am beginning to think you are different. No," he raised his other hand to stop my protest, "I know you are different. Enjoy your thoughts in peace, Tadan." He rose and walked through the woods. I watched him until the trees blocked my view. Then I went back to my study of the river, half hoping Elrond would find me there, half hoping Luitha would. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I wandered through Rivendell, not paying much attention to where I was going. Not paying much attention to anything, actually. My heart ached still. Every time I closed my eyes I saw him, gazing silently at Elendil as the shadows of the evening danced with the light across his face.

I shook my head. Enough! Really! I needed a distraction. 

I didn't have to wait long.

Elves were singing within the woods. I did not pay attention, they often did so. But the sound of hooves came, and many feet upon the ground. Curious and bored, I moved into the woods and followed the river down. Yes, there was definitely singing ahead. I was getting closer. It sounded like a dozen or so sets of feet shuffling along the earth. Grumbling? Elves did not shuffle nor grumble.

But I was distracted again. Was that Tadan sitting there by the river? I approached cautiously, unsure of what to say to her, my guilt still strong in my mind. 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I threw a stone in the water and was mesmerized by the ripples that spread across it's surface. The lovely colors of a late afternoon sky were reflected in the river. I sighed, and threw in another stone. 

My thoughts were all over the place. I looked at the sky. Still late afternoon. Time, which had passed all too quickly over the last few months had evidently decided to drag its collective feet. I tried to concentrate on the matters at hand. I really did. But my mind wasn't made to mull seriously over things for a while. Random thoughts kept popping out of nowhere. I suddenly decided that this was why Pippin had thrown rocks in the water at Moria. I felt an odd kinship with the little Hobbit, for it seemed that he too had trouble just sitting and thinking over serious matters. I threw another rock in, this time smiling as I remembered the scene. And then I went back to serious. Whatever was I to do?

A twig snapped behind me and I whirled around, small rock prepared for throwing. After all, Elves didn't snap twigs. I was relieved, and perhaps a little stressed, to see Luitha there. 

"Hey," I said.

"Hey," she answered. She raised an eyebrow at the rock in my hand. 

I shrugged. "Normal Elves don't make noises when they come up behind someone in the woods. I wanted to be prepared."

She nodded and took a seat on a small boulder. We both looked at the water. For some reason neither of us had anything to say. 

I heard a distant singing, but that was normal for Rivendell. I liked singing. It was one of the many amentities of the city. I threw my other rock in. As it plopped into the water, Luitha sighed. 

I turned to look at her. "So?"

"So?" she repeated. 

"I asked first." She almost smiled. 

"I don't know."

Hmm, we seemed to be saying a lot of that recently. When would we know? And know what? Agh, I needed to concentrate on the here and now. I sensed something about her, almost a tangible feeling, but at first I couldn't' recognize it. After all, I was pretty new at the telepathy business. I drew my knees up and listened to the singing. Oh, I knew where Elrond was. I could pick out his distinct and lovely baritone voice quite easily. Then it hit me. Luitha was feeling guilt. 

"Luitha?"

"Hmm?" She looked up from the grass. 

"Why are you feeling guilty?"

Then she looked guilty, too. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I was really starting to get sick of this telepathy business. Tadan didn't see me running around and poking my nose her mind, now did she? How come I didn't have such a good handle of it? 

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to. I can't help it." Tadan was wincing. I sighed. I was tired of being hurt and angry too.

"I'm sorry too. I didn't mean to think those things. I know you can't control it." Did Elves PMS? Maybe that was the source of my depression.

"Why do you feel guilty?" She asked again. Poor Tadan always had to ask me sensitive questions twice before she got an answer, didn't she? But she stuck to her guns, I had to give her that. She would not let up. "Luitha." That was more of a command.

I picked up my own rock and began running it through my hands. "It's my fault. You were here with Elrond and you were happy. Then I had to go fall in love with Estel and turn everybody's lives upside down. Now Elrond is ticked at Estel, you're worried that I'm going to somehow find a way to die with him, and I'm torn between the two of you."

Tadan sucked in her breath. "Did you say fall in love?"

I looked up from the stone in my hand in surprise. Had I? "Yeah, I guess so." 

I turned from the river and looked through the trees behind me. The singing had gotten louder still, and the shuffling of feet was plain to my ears. I could see shapes moving in the trees, not far off, but beyond the reach of my eyes. I squinted, but that didn't help much. Short, I could see, and with a very long beard. There were thirteen of them? Were those dwarves? And who was that little figure following behind? I relaxed my eyes and concentrated on that last figure.

Without warning, the forest came looming towards me and the scene magnified. The far-away moving dwarves became so close I felt like they were passing right by me. I gave a startled yell and fell off the rock I was sitting on.

I had just discovered the zoom lens of Elves.

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I felt horrible. I didn't know what to say. I mean, deep down, I had known. But I hadn't wanted to admit it. I was about to try to say something when Luitha yelped and fell over.

I turned as fast as I could, fearing the worst, i.e., a dragon was behind me. Instead, I saw a group of travelers. Fifteen travelers. And most of them were short. For some reason this rang a bell in my mind. 

Oh my word! That had to be Gandalf and Bilbo and the Dwarves! I never could remember all of their names. After all, I had more important things to remember, like Elrond's whole family line. 

"I want to meet Gandalf!" I exclaimed, and broke into a run. Then I recalled Luitha on the ground. I turned and saw her running right behind me, grin restored. 

I was happy to discover we weren't the only ones running. I was told Rivendell always held celebrations when Gandalf showed up by Elrohir, who was running too. 

The three of us stumbled into the courtyard to hear the Elves singing "Tra la la lally, here down in the valley."

I felt overjoyed. The tune was exactly as I had sung it when reading The Hobbit!"

I laughed as they told Thorin to watch his beard, and Bilbo not to eat too much. This was amazing! An arm rested on my shoulders as I laughed. Elrond smiled at me, his eyes looking relieved for some reason. I smiled back at him and leaned into his side, feeling very much at home for the first time in Middle Earth. 

El luitha uren  

 Gandalf!? I picked myself up and went tearing after Tadan. Gandalf! We came to a gleeful halt in a gathering of what must have been every Elf in Rivendell. Elrond moved to stand beside Tadan and put an arm around her shoulder. I smiled. How happy they looked together. Why was I being so egotistical and worrying about Estel and I so much? 

Estel. His blue eyes twinkled in my mind, his rough voice saying my name...

Stop it.

"Daydreaming again, Luitha?" I started and turned to see who had said my name. I had not recognized the voice. The Elf was tall and dark of hair, as were most of the Elves of Rivendell. He had a rather large nose that reminded me of Haldir and sharp eyes that looked like they missed nothing. His voice was higher-pitched than those of Aragorn, Elrond, and his sons.

"How could you tell?" Oh, I knew. Drat these Elves and their telepathy. I needed to talk to Elrond and get it under control.

"Your eyes unfocus and you stare into nothing." Wow he was standing close to me. I stepped back. The look in his eyes was not one I could easily read. It was a hunger of some sort. I took another step back, uneasy about this new Elf's presence. Had Elrond broadcasted to everyone that I was looking for a new love-interest?

"I'm sorry." I told him, as he moved closer again. "I think you've mistaken me with someone else." I turned and ran into the wood. 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I watched as the strange procession came in. Gandalf came in first, a huge smile on his face as he came up to Elrond. Elrond unwrapped his arm from around me in order to hug the very tall Istari. I was feeling kind of short when I saw the one who had to be Bilbo, right behind Gandalf. He looked like he was enjoying every minute of this.

My eyes fell on the Dwarves. They were glaring right and left. Obviously they were not happy to be in Rivendell. I heard one mutter, "Elves. Do we have to stay with Elves?"

Erestor came from behind them and said, "Now Mithrandir, what much needed supplies are we giving to your party at this time?"

I grinned. And the Elves score! Then I heard my name.

"Tadan, it is nice to meet you."

I turned to see Gandalf smiling at me, holding out his hand. "Gandalf, the pleasure is mine."

Elrond looked surprised. "Oh, have you already met?"

"What?" I asked, a bit confused.

"I introduced him as Mithrandir."

"Oh, no, I haven't met him before. Um," I looked behind me to see if Luitha could give me a hand, and found her missing. In her place stood a tall Elf. "Where's Luitha?"

He looked at me. "She had something to attend to in the woods."

I was puzzled. What could be more interesting than meeting Gandalf? Then I was distracted by Elrond's arm going around me again, and I turned back to walk with him into the Chamber of Fire. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 What was that all about? I was angry again. I hated being angry. For all the Rivendell was peaceful, I seemed to have spent the vast majority of my time there in anything but a peaceful mood. The only time I remembered being truly happy was in Estel's arms...

_Enough! Really Luitha! This has got to stop! Why not see what that Elf had to offer, hey? You are not bound to Estel because of one kiss._

No. But my heart longed for him. I could never give it to another, not while his grey-blue eyes haunted my mind. Grey-blue eyes...

I had to forcefully keep myself from banging my head into a tree. This was not working. I needed another distraction.

I did an about face right there to head back to Rivendell. I was going to meet Gandalf and Bilbo. So I spun on my heel and neatly conked heads with the Elf that I had just run away from.

"Uh... hello?" He smiled at my puzzled words. I gave him a weak smiled back.

"Hello Luitha. I am Telemandor. I'm sorry if I frightened you earlier. I did not mean to be so forward. But I have been watching you since you first came to Rivendell."

Uh-oh.

I put a hand to my head. "Telemandor, I'm very sorry, but I'm not interested. I'm not feeling very well. I'm sorry to leave you, but I'm going to head back and sleep now." I attempted to circle him, as he was standing right in front of me and blocking my way back.

"Would you like me to carry you?" He moved toward me.

"No!" I jumped back. "No, I'll walk, thank you." I felt bad. I certainly was not being very nice. But I really was not interested at all, and the obsessive bit was starting to bother me just a little.

"Then I shall walk with you." 

_Fine, _I thought, _just don't jump on me in the middle of the woods_. I was beginning to discover how the poor objects of the Elf hunt felt. Well, they enjoyed it, I guess.

I set off for Rivendell at a brisk pace. 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 The mood was still light when we entered the Hall of Fire and Gandalf began to tell of some of his journeys. After every tale he told, a song was sung, and I was utterly enjoying myself. 

About thirty minutes into the meeting, Luitha walked in with the tall Elf that had been behind me. She came over and sat right beside me, and appeared to be ignoring the Elf. 

Her eyes met mine, but she just shook her head 'no'. I would ask her when we were alone. I studied the Elf. His eyes were fixed on her, and he was singing quite loudly, as if to show off. Very odd behavior for an Elf, I thought. But then Bilbo walked over.

"Lord Elrond, my Lady, I want to say how much of an honor it is to be in your house." Elrond smiled, and I looked around. Where was the Lady Bilbo was talking to?

Luitha poked me and I realized what Bilbo thought.

"Oh, Mr. Baggins, I'm not..."

Elrond cut me off. "What she means is that she is not used to having quite so many Dwarves here at one time, and is happy to meet a Hobbit."

I looked at him, puzzled. Bilbo thought nothing of it and continued around, quite the perky chap. 

"I'm no Lady." Elrond grinned. Oops, that didn't come out right. "I mean..."

"I know what you mean. And do not worry about it. Let him think of you as he does." But he was still smiling. I knew I was going to regret saying that. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

So Elrond wanted Bilbo to think Tadan was his lady, hmm? I just about fell back to my elementary school tendencies and tittered right there. The Dwarves were amusing. They all seemed to be having an ongoing argument, and their voices kept rising above one another. Very different from the melodic voices of the Elves.

When stalker-Elf wasn't paying attention, I quickly got up and moved closer to the fire. Huddled in my cloak and feeling very much alone, I watched the flames through half-dropped eyes. Funny how one could feel so very alone in such a large group, I mused.

"You should not sit so close to the fire, Lady Luitha. From what Lord Elrond has told me, you and your friend Tadandader are prone to natural disasters." Now that was a voice I'd never heard before. I turned from my musings to see a tall shadow standing over me. He sat down on the bench next to me, blue eyes sparkling merrily from under a wide-brimmed hat.

A pointy wide-brimmed hat.

"Gandalf?" The words escaped my mouth before I could check them. The wizard chuckled.

"The Lady Tadan used that name as well. Where did you hear that name, I wonder? I am known as Mithrandir to Elrond and his kin."

Oh. "I heard Bilbo call you that." Gandalf did not seem entirely convinced, but did not press the subject.

"I hear you are not from these parts."

"No," I replied. "Tadan and I are from a land unknown to your people." The wizard's blue eyes glittered and a small smile played at the corners of his lips. I realized that I had just told an Istari that I was from a place he did not know. Despite the slight roll in my eyes, Gandalf asked,

"Aragorn said you spoke of the hobbit Tolkien? That you hailed from a land near his?"

Aragorn. The name threw me off and I hesitated. "Uh, yes," flustered, I tried quickly to cover. "You could say Britain is near my home in Virginia. It is across the sea though."

"I see." Was it my imagination, or did his eyes sparkle even more in that moment?

"Aragorn, how is he?" I tried to sound casual. Oh his eyes were definitely twinkling now.

"The Dunedain have accepted him as their leader. He is fairing well enough." Gandalf bent closer. "He sends you his greetings."

I tried not to visibly start, but I did anyway. How many months had passed in his time? How many days in mine?

"He wished me to remind you that the light of Earendil shines down on him as well, and that he too looks to it every night."

I turned my gaze to the fire to let the warmth of the blaze dry my gathering tears.

"El luitha 'uren," the old wizard continued softly. "He is very fond of you. He did not have to ask me to specifically find you. I think somehow that I would have anyway." 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I watched Luitha slip away when the Elf wasn't watching, and sit down by the fire. Then I saw Gandalf go over to talk to her. Then my attention shifted to the Dwarves who had just entered the room, arguing. Their harsh voices disrupted the singing and merry atmosphere. 

Elrond seemed distracted talking with Thorin, so I glanced back at Luitha. At first I thought it was the light, then I noticed she was about to cry! What was Gandalf doing?

I quickly crossed the room to their side, intent beating Gandalf up if he had hurt her. Then I remembered he was a Maia. I decided to just be casual.

"Will… Aragorn be back soon?" Luitha asked. I froze. Bad timing, Tadan, I told myself. I tried to slip away, but somehow Gandalf knew I was there. 

"Tadan, I am not harming your friend." Shoot. So much for slipping away unnoticed. But maybe it was for the best. I sat down by Luitha and placed my arm around her shoulders as Mithrandir continued. "He hopes to return soon. And he promises to keep you in his thoughts."

"Mithrandir, Luitha, Tadan?" It was the Elf again, the one who had been sitting oddly close to Luitha. "Are you okay? It is nice to meet you, Tadan. My name is Telemandor." 

I just looked at him. What did he want?

"Luitha, are you all right?" 

If looks could kill, Telemandor was dead yesterday. Why was she so angry? "I'm fine. Thank you for your concern." Hmm, that sounded a bit forced. No, not a bit, it sounded very forced. 

Telemandor obviously was deaf and blind, for he took a seat next to the three of us. It was then that his intentions became very clear to me. "Luitha, if there is anything I can do for you, I will."

"I am a bit busy right now. If I want you for anything, I'll call. Look, isn't Erestor waving you over? Quick, he just went into the kitchens!"

Erestor wasn't anywhere to be seen. But Telemandor got up and headed for that door. I looked at her. "Luitha, that wasn't very nice!"

"He's stalking me! What do you expect?"

"Stalking you?" 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 It was then that I remembered Gandalf was still with us. 

"Telemandor is one of the few Elves here that does not easily understand hints, even when forced upon him," the wizard said. "I too was once the object of his attention. Pay him no mind. He will give up soon enough."

Well that was encouraging, at least.

Elrond came over then and laid a hand on Gandalf's shoulder. "Mithrandir, we were wondering if you could enlighten us with another tale?"

"Of course!" the wizard boomed, standing with the aid of his staff. He bent over and rested his hand on my shoulder. "Do not despair, El luitha. Only Elrond knows Aragorn better than I. His heart is set. He will return." And he moved with Elrond to the cluster of waiting elves.

I turned to Tadan, feeling much better at the moment than I had for days. "I'd never want you angry at me! The glare you were giving Gandalf when you came over made ME cower!"

She laughed. "That was nothing compared to the one you gave Telemandor!"

Her arm around my shoulder was comforting, and I returned the gesture. We sat and watched the fire glow, listening to the tales of Gandalf as the night drew on. 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 The night had passed swiftly while we enjoyed the celebratory atmosphere. I think I drifted off once or twice, or perhaps thrice. The sun rose all to soon, sending Gandalf, Bilbo, and the dwarves on their way. Poor Bilbo, I thought. I wouldn't want to deal with Gollum. 

Elrond shot me an odd look, so did Glorfindel. I looked back at them. They looked at each other. Then they both opened their mouths at the same time. They looked at each other again. I was trying not to laugh when Elrond asked, "Who's Gollum?"

I could feel the blood draining out of my face. "No one!" I said quickly, too quickly. 

They glanced at each other again, but this time it wasn't funny. An unspoken message seemed to pass between them, and Glorfindel nodded and left. I saw him head over to Luitha. 

Elrond put his hand on my shoulder. "I believe it is time I taught you how to shield your thoughts, especially as it seems that you have details of the future."

I nodded mutely. It would be pretty bad if I broadcasted...wait... no... I shouldn't think about it. I needed to concentrate on... bunnies. That's an innocent thought. Like the ones Sam cooked for Fr...shoot!

"Um, is Glorfindel doing the same for Luitha?"

"Yes. We thought it prudent. Here," he pointed, and we entered one of the many gardens. We took a bench, and he placed his hands on either side of my head. "Concentrate on there being walls around your thoughts. A veritable fortress blocks any entry." 

El luitha uren  

 Glorfindel led me to a bench not far from Tadan and Elrond.

"Try to clear your mind." He placed his hands on my temples.

I gave him a skeptical look. "What're you doing?"

"Trying to keep you from letting the whole of Rivendell from knowing your inner thoughts. Concentrate on nothing."

It was hard. I let my eyes glaze over and stared blankly ahead. I'd never had trouble clearing my mind before, when I concentrated hard enough. But now strange thoughts came into my mind, not of my own origin.

I suppose Tadan would not be so bad for my Lord. I am hesitant to except her. We know nothing about her. She is strange, knows thoughts of the future...

The thoughts stopped. My head was clear. I hadn't realized how many conversations had been circling around. I looked up in relief, and in irritation. I had wanted to hear the rest of that.

"There. You will need much more training before you will attain full control. We shall see who your tutor will be. For now, you no longer need to worry about projecting."

"Thanks." I felt a little woozy. It didn't help that the great Glorfindel of Rivendell had just instructed me in the beginning steps of telepathy.

"You should lay down for awhile. Rest. Your mind is not used to this strain."

"Actually, I'd rather not." Laying down meant letting my mind wander. And I didn't want to think of where it would go. A sudden thought came to mind, one with which I had been toying for awhile. "Can I learn how to shoot?"

"Shoot?" Glorfindel sat down next to me, an amused expression on my face.

"With a bow and arrow?"

"You do not already know?"

"Um, it wasn't part of the basic training where I'm from."

"I shall have Elrohir instruct you then. Stay here." He got up and was back within a minute, Elrohir accompanying. Elrond's son held out his arm, a big smile across his face.

"Shall we go?" 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Out of the corner of my mind I saw Luitha walk off with Elrohir. What was she doing? I wondered.

"Tadan, as I have told you, you need to keep your mind clear as we go through your training."

"Sorry. Oh, is she learning archery? I want to!" He looked at me, and I accidentally heard his thoughts. 

She was a lot calmer when she was ill.

I turned red, and he realized I had heard him. "I'm sorry." I concentrated on my walls. 

"It's all right. You already are farther than most beginning students, as you can hear the thoughts of others. You now have partial shields, and no one who is not trying will hear your thoughts." He released my head, and I saw Glorfindel walk up. 

"Perhaps Tadan would care to learn as well?" Glorfindel asked. He really had been much nicer since our talk. In his hands were two bows and a large quiver.

I was relieved when Elrond took the big bow, as I was pretty certain I wouldn't be able to bend it. 

"After you," he said, waving me toward the range. 

El luitha uren  

 "Now here." Elrohir stopped in the middle of the woods and handed me one of the bows he was carrying. I looked around curiously. Weren't there supposed to be targets? Bullseyes?

"Bulls-eye?" Elrohir responded when I asked. "What do you need a target for when you can use a tree?" I remembered faintly that the Ents got rather annoyed at stinging arrows, but guessed it was safe to assume not all trees in Middle-earth were alive. Okay, fine by me.

Elrohir walked me through the steps of bending the bow and focusing on an object. He was a good teacher.

"Level your arm here... Pull back to your ear like so..." He stood behind me and covered my hands with his own, guiding me along. I suddenly realized that I was alone in the woods of Rivendell with the son of Elrond standing near with his arms around me. What my friends back home would have given to be in my place. I laughed out loud.

"Is something amusing?" Elrohir's mouth was right by my ear, and as he spoke, wisps of my hair flew right in. I heard him spitting and laughed even harder.

"Elrohir, if I didn't know better, I'd say you were hitting on me!" 

"Hitting on you?" The Elf was very confused. "I am not hitting you."

"No," I laughed. "Flirting with me, trying to seduce me."

Elrohir finally got my meaning and laughed as well. "Luitha, I would not dare the wrath of a Ranger such as Estel, even for one such as you."

It was nice to joke around, I thought with a smile. I was taking life too seriously. With intensified concentration, I bent the bow back once more.

"Good!" Elrohir handed me an arrow. "Fit it here, between these fingers, yes that is right. Pull back..."

I let it fly. It hit the tree with a thunk. Wow. When I had practiced archery in high school I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!

"Very good! You are a natural!" Elrohir praised. I smiled. This was going to be fun. I fitted another arrow and bent back the bow. Just as I was about to let it fly, something tapped the back of my knee. I turned my head slightly in surprise, and just as the arrow released, my hair got caught. The arrow went flying, I let out a shriek.

And I wasn't the only one. My aim had been diverted at the distraction, and I saw something go hopping around in the forest beyond the tree, squealing and screaming. Elrohir was bent over beside me in laughter.

"What was that? Did you do that?" I was slightly peeved, and holding my stinging head.

"You are not good at distractions, I'm afraid." Elrohir was gasping out words, he was laughing so hard. "And I think Telemandor has learned a lesson." 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Elrond and I walked over to a clearing that was ringed with trees. 

"Let me see how you naturally hold the bow first," he instructed. I took the bow and held it as I had seen others doing.

"Good! Now, pull the arrow back." I did so, and he smiled. "You already have good form. Now try to shoot."

"Are you sure there's no one around?"

"Would you feel embarrassed if there was?"

"No, but I don't want to shoot anyone. I can fight with a sword, but I've always been, well, archaically challenged."

"There is no one else near. Aim for the tree with the ribbon tied around its trunk."

Easy for you to say, I thought, and carefully aimed and fired. Just as always, I hit a tree two down from the target. 

There was a pause in which I waited for Elrond to say something. "Well, you did hit a tree. However, at the last minute you shifted weight from your front foot to the back one. You need to stay balanced in between your feet. Keep this in mind as you try again."

I concentrated as I took aim again. As I fired, I focused on my weight. And I hit the same tree.

"That's odd. You kept your weight steady this time. Here." He set down his bow and came up from behind me. Smoothly he reached around me and took my hands in his. "Now, follow my movements." He aimed the bow and fired. Then he stepped back and looked expectantly at me.

"Here goes." I tried to remember what he'd done, only to realize that I'd been slightly distracted when he had shown me. Sometimes I hated being a blonde. I aimed, fired, and was utterly shocked when I hit the right tree. "Yes!" I shouted, and pumped my fist in the air. 

"Good. Now hit the ribbon." I looked at him. Surely he wasn't serious? That thin green ribbon, maybe at best a fourth of an inch across? "Try."

I decided it couldn't hurt to try. I drew back, and fired, just as someone staggered in front of the tree. "No!!" I stood there stupidly, in shock, as the arrow hit the figure. Elrond was already running toward him. As soon as Elrond reached him, I came to my senses and bolted after him, only to discover I had shot Telemandor. And somehow I had done it twice, as there were two arrows in the Elf. 

After a moment Elrond looked up, the arrows in his hands. "Telemandor will be fine," he said.

"How did he get shot twice?" I asked, ever the curious one.

"The markings on the one that hit him first are my son Elrohir's. I would assume either he or Luitha accidentally shot Telemandor. Considering the way the two of you work together, I would assume Luitha shot him. Come, think of it as a lesson. Luitha would not be the first female he has stalked, nor the first to shoot him. I also doubt that you will be the last." He smiled, looking close to laughter, and led me out of the clearing. 

"Is my lesson done for the day?" I felt a twinge of regret, as I had enjoyed the short time alone with him.

"Lessons often end when someone is shot." Now he was grinning ear to ear. "My Lady," he added. I turned red. Was he going to remember my slip of the tongue forever? It seemed he was. Time to change the subject.

"When are we going to work on my telepathy next?" 

"Ii was thinking we could continue your lessons in my room." I glanced at him. He met my eyes, and drew me to him with a very strong arm. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I was a little annoyed at Elrohir's amusement and was going to rush forward and help the staggering Telemandor, but he was gone by the time I looked up from my companion, now kneeling over he was laughing so hard.

I sighed and waited for Elrohir to finish. Suddenly I heard another shriek in the distance, a pause, and Tadan asking "I shot him twice?"

Elrohir was off again.

He recovered several moments later. With a final wipe of the tears from his eyes, he stood next to me once more. "Do you see that knot in the tree? About a height off the ground? Hit that." He handed me another arrow.

I pulled the string back, focused, and released. With another _thunk_, the arrow held quivering in the center of the knot. I looked at it in surprise. How had I done that?

Elrohir grinned. "Some Elves are naturals, others need practice. I do not think it is hard to tell which one you are." He handed me another arrow. "Now hit your arrow."

"What?" I gave him a very skeptical look.

"Just do it." I pulled the string taunt, my hand next to my ear, and focused on the still quivering arrow. The target was so small, and squinting did not help. I relaxed my eyes...

The arrow in the tree seemed to zoom towards me, and this time I managed not to start in surprise. Concentrating on not letting my breathing shake the bow, I release.

With a _thwap_, my first arrow was cut in half by my second. No way. I trotted forward to inspect it.

"Well done!" Elrohir congratulated. "I think you are good enough at steady shots. Now I will teach you to fire rapidly and a horseback."

I smiled. "Do you have any little green feathered hats I could have?" Elrohir stared blankly at me. I sighed. "Sorry, joke from where I'm from. Never mind." I whistled and Asfaloth came galloping up. I leapt up on his back, bow in hand.

"Where to, oh teacher?" 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 He kissed me beside the musical waters of the river, underneath the warm sun. I decided right then that I had just enjoyed a perfect moment. However, perfect moments tempt fate, and thus they are always short lived. 

I slipped. On the mud, beside the river. As he went to kiss me again, I completely lost my footing. It really wouldn't have been so bad if I hadn't knocked him in too. And it also wouldn't have been as bad if Glorfindel and Elladan hadn't been watching. 

I swallowed a mouthful of water before something grabbed me. I realized it was Elladan's arm as he hauled me out expertly. He set me on the bank, away from the mud, and I realized he was laughing while I coughed up all of the water that had invaded my system. 

"Did you enjoy your swim?" Glorfindel sounded as if he was about to laugh too. Kicking myself mentally, I looked at him. He was drenched, and it appeared that he had jumped in to pull Elrond out. 

And what of Elrond? I asked myself, and got to my knees still shaking from adrenaline. He was soaked from head to toe. Why, oh why was I such a klutz? I hadn't been a klutz in my world! It was just when I was around him, I got a little weak. 

The mighty Elf Lord of Rivendell did not look so mighty anymore, dripping all over the place. He actually looked quite amused. "Tadan, are you all right?"

"Yes." I got up, intent on heading to my room and trying to see if Elves wore makeup so I could hide the now almost permanent scarlet flush on my cheeks. 

"Today has been quite eventful already, and it is just barely lunchtime!" I sincerely hoped Elrond would stop there, but, like all men, he didn't catch the look I gave him. "First you accidentally reveal a bit of the future. Then you shoot an Elf. Then you nearly drown! What next?" Glorfindel was now chuckling, and Elladan was barely able to stand as he laughed. 

I glared at all three, but it had no affect. I began to walk off, feeling very hurt. I hadn't meant to do any of those things. I was two steps down the path when Elrond caught my arm.

"I'm sorry," he said softly, and pushed my drenched bangs away from my face. "I did not mean to mock you. Come, I will go with you to dry off." He held out his hand, and I took it, forgiving him instantly. It was hard to stay mad when someone apologized so sincerely. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren   

 Elrohir gracefully slid onto the back of his stallion, and the two horses matched paces as they trotted through the trees. Asfaloth curved his neck and neighed. I was hard pressed to keep him from breaking out into a gallop. The sunshine seemed to fill he and I alike with energy, and I desired to feel the wind blowing through my air and against my face.

Elrohir came to a sudden halt and swung around. He dismounted, looking at me expectantly. "Stay there. When I drop the leaf, hit it."

What? I watched the Elf leap lightly onto a tree branch and soon disappear among the branches. Sitting on Asfaloth, now very restless, I waited.

An oak leaf began a steady spiral toward the ground. I drew my arrow back, knowing I would hit it. How strange my luck had been. Where had my talent come from? Was it part of my new Elvish body? I released, and the leaf was now pinned to a tree. Elrohir leaped to the ground in delight.

"You are the best archer I've seen yet!" I smiled weakly. This was getting dull. Asfaloth pranced beneath me. Elrohir laughed and leapt back onto his stallion. "Asfaloth seems to have better things to do. Let us ride!" The two horses took off in a flash, and I clutched a handful of mane in my hands, holding on for dear life.

We flew through the trees and past the rising sun. Exiting the valley, the horses tore through the forest, neighing to each other in delight. The wind whipped against my face, the sweet smell of honeysuckles filled my nose, and I breathed in deep the clean air of the morning.

It was over too soon. Far from the valley we had traveled. I did not recognize the forest. The peaceful air of Rivendell was gone. The morning was quiet and still.

"Why have we stopped? Where are we?" I trotted up to Elrohir, his body tense in concentration. He held up a hand to silence me.

"Listen." I did as he commanded. There were voices not far away. Not the musical tones of the Elves, but the gruff voice of Men. The ground sloped down a few hundred feet away, and Elrohir rode silently to the top of that ridge, peering down. 

"There are five Men. They are arguing about something, I cannot tell what." At my bidding, Asfaloth moved to stand quietly at Elrohir's flank. I could hear the voices as though I was standing next to the Men.

"We're too close. They'll find us." One was saying.

"We're past their borders. Them Elves don't leave 'less they have to." Another sneered.

"'Sides, Elves aren't lookin' for us anyways. We'll be long outta here 'for them Bree-folk catch up. Elves'll catch them 'steada us!" This one seemed delighted with his plan, and chuckled. It sounded like he was wheezing and not laughing.

"Who are they?" I whispered to Elrohir.

"Outlaws from around Bree, most likely," he answered. They come to our woods expecting to escape, underestimating the watchfulness of the Elves. Elrond will need to know about this. Come." He quietly turned his horse and made ready to ride off.

A twig snapped behind me.

Blackness. 

--------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 We walked back to his house, still dripping. The sun was helping a bit, but not nearly enough. I felt my face go red again as I walked through the Elves who watched us pass.

"It is all right," came a soft whisper to my ear. I looked at Elrond, and he slipped an arm around my shoulders as we entered the building.

Quietly we walked up the stairs, and to his room. "Here," he said, and walked to a closet in the wall. He pulled out a long green dress, very similar to the ones I had been wearing. I tried not to show my frustration. After all, one of the many things Luitha and I had in common was our hate of dresses. I took it from him, and then noticed the small stones set into the collar. My first thought was that they would be heavy, but then I realized they were miniature emeralds. I decided I wouldn't mind wearing this dress. 

Then I froze. Where was I to change? Elrond smiled, and gestured to a small partitioned area that I hadn't noticed before. Smiling gratefully, I went back there and slipped my dress off. Or tried to slip my dress off. It was stuck. The waters had caused it to shrink. This was rich. I tried not to make too much noise as I wrestled with it. Now I really hated dresses. 

"Are you all right?" Elrond's voice called from the other side of the partition.

"Fine!" Stuck! Stuck, stuck, stuck! Suddenly I had two more hands. One pulled the dress over my head, and the other went around my waist. 

"Are you sure you're fine?" Oh dear. Well, it kind of was what I had been hoping for. His lips grazed my neck, and I leaned back, my heart pounding. It was as his hand went through my short hair that all cognizant thought left me. 

--------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

My head was throbbing. I tasted blood on my lip. I felt the hard ground beneath me, felt a rock jabbing up into my shoulder blade. And I heard the sounds of yelling men and clashing blades above me. I did not move, but I cracked open my eyes, hoping that the men were otherwise occupied and I was free to move.

Elrohir had a short knife out and was using it to hold off against his opponent's much longer sword. His movements were graceful compared to the bulky jerking of the Men he faced, but the odds were heavily against him. He fought with four, another one was down, unconscious on the ground beside me.

No one was paying attention to me. My heart was pounding, and I could taste the fear in my mouth. But I stood up slowly and picked up my bow where it had fallen. Arrows- where had Elrohir dropped them? I heard a gasp, and looked over to see blood trickling down the Elf's arm. The Men circled closer, desperation written clearly across their faces.

Quickly now, for a sense of urgency had taken over, I scanned the ground for Elrohir's fallen quiver, praying to Elbereth the men had not noticed me yet. Ah, there it was. All the way around on the other side of the fight. There was only one thing to do. I swallowed my fear and charged around the combatants. They were distracted and with a wild yell, turned to face this new opponent they sensed. Elrohir's blade dropped one more to the ground. One man reached for me and grabbed my arm as I passed, swinging me around. I kicked the back of his knee and he went down with a curse. I spun, catching him in the back with my foot, and he fell to the ground.

I grabbed the quiver off the ground, swung it across my back, and before I could blink I had released an arrow. A third man moaned and dropped to the ground, the shaft sticking out of his leg above the knee. The fourth was down even before he could react.

I was sure the look on my face was priceless. My breathing had been reduced to short gasps, my heart was pounding so hard I was sure they could hear it back in Rivendell. I had not killed anyone, but I had never intentionally shot anyone before either. I closed my eyes to keep from seeing the men before me. My head was pounding from when I had been knocked off Asfaloth. 

Elrohir had been leaning against a tree, scanning the forest around us. Now I felt him beside me, taking the bow from my hand. "Luitha... Luitha, are you all right?" His hand touched my forehead. I opened my eyes and swallowed. He smiled gently. "It is over. Are you hurt?" I shook my head, unable to talk. "Luitha I need your help. Can you ride back to Rivendell?"

"Yes." How did my voice manage to come out so steadily?

"Good. Find Glorfindel. Bring him and an escort here. We cannot bring them back to Rivendell by ourselves. I will watch these men until help arrives."

Leave him alone? "If they..."

Elrohir seemed to sense my worry. "Do not fear. I will not let them catch me by surprise again. Ride back Luitha, hurry." He whistled, and the horses came galloping back, their voices trumpeting through the air. I grabbed hold of Asfaloth's mane and hauled myself up, ignoring the fresh stab of pain in my head.

"Noro lim!" The stallion took off, racing through the woods. I closed my eyes and held on for dear life. "Noro lim, Asfaloth!" 


	6. Love, Lust, and Death Threats

_We'd like to get on our knees and slobber at the feet of three people: Seal, Watcherchild, and katietook. Thank you for your reviews! We feel all warm and fuzzy inside now. And Tadan would like to add that she is having as much fun getting Elrond as Seal is reading about Elrond getting her. ;) Thanks again!_

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 A pounding on the door interrupted us. I moaned softly, and Elrond traced my cheek before he got up, threw a robe on, and answered the door. 

"My Lord, Luitha has come back, bleeding, and says that Elrohir is injured and in dire need of reinforcements!"

I sat up. Luitha? 

"Has anyone left yet?"

"Yes, my lord, Glorfindel has already led a detachment of archers. He and Elladan should have reached Elrohir by now."

"Very well. Where is Luitha?"

"In her rooms, sir."

"I shall be there to attend her right away. You are dismissed, and as soon as Glorfindel returns with Elrohir let me know. I will be with Luitha."

"Of course, my Lord." The other Elf walked away. Elrond turned to face me, already getting on the gown he had shown to me earlier. 

"I'm ready when you are," I said. He looked surprised for a moment, then he seemed to remember that he was only wearing a bathrobe. Rapidly he dressed, and then we went to the room that Luitha was in. 

She was in her bed when we came in, and turned her bruised head to see us.

"Luitha! How do you feel?" I rushed to her side, but let Elrond have the chair. 

"Like I've been beaten up." Well, obviously she still had the fine art of irony down. Elrond placed his hands on her head, and I watched in amazement as the bruises and cuts faded away. As soon as he was done, Elladan burst in with Elrohir leaning heavily on his shoulders. 

"Come," Elrond said, and helped Elladan lay his twin on the other bed. "Tadan, get Luitha a few blankets. She needs to stay warm while her body recovers from shock." I dashed down the hall, and into a small storage room I had noticed earlier. Swiftly I pulled out a large stack of blankets, and ran back up the hall. 

After dropping about half of them beside Elrohir's bed, I wrapped the shivering Luitha up. 

"Done." Elrond stood, wearily, and watched as Elladan covered his brother. "Elladan, will you stay with them?"

Elladan nodded. What about me? Did he not trust me enough to watch over them, especially Luitha?

"Tadan, I could use a hand back to my room." He looked serious, and then I realized that he was barely standing. Not quite sure about how much I would be able to help him, I put his arm over my shoulders and supported his weight as best I could. 

"Luitha, I'll be back soon," I said.

Elladan looked at me. "It is always best if someone stays with the Healer after a healing is done."

Oh. I hadn't known that. "I'm sorry, I was unaware..." Elrond raised his hand and cut me off.

"No one told you. It is not your fault." 

I felt torn. I could always send Elladan up with his father and stay with Luitha, but Elrond had asked for me. With a sigh I decided to stay with Elrond, for Luitha was already almost asleep.

We carefully and slowly climbed the stairs together to his room. I helped him lay down, and laid down next to him, studying his magnificent eyes. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 The pounding in my skull was the first thing that I noticed when I woke. It was dark out, I could see the moonlight streaming down to form strange patterns on my bed. What day was it? How long had I been asleep?

Elrohir was sleeping peacefully in the bed next to me. Elladan slept in the chair beside the head of his twin, his own head resting in his curled up arms, dark hair falling thickly around them.

I was restless. The stars were calling, and the aching in my skull made sleep impossible. I threw the covers back silently and crept out of the room to the balcony, leaning my weight on the cold marble. There was Earendil, bright as always. Its light filled me with strength, and I closed my eyes, basking in its illumination, breathing deeply. Thunder rolled in the distance, warning of the approach of a fall storm.

From the disarray Elrond and Tadan seemed in when they had entered my room, I knew that I had interrupted them. Had they had a moment's peace yet? It seemed something always interfered when they were together. I felt guilty. Again.

There was a quiet scoffing on the forest floor below me. I looked down from the balcony, trying to peer through the darkness, but my eyes were unable to penetrate through the blackness under the trees. The scoffing continued, and I heard whispered voices. What was that? It did not sound like Elves.

I moved silently down the corridor, out of Rivendell, and onto the ground of the forest. Slinking from tree to tree, I crept closer to the voices.

I would realize later how stupid I had been. But blonde moments struck me occasionally, and this was the perfect opportunity for one to catch me unaware. It never occurred to me that I should go for help. But as I hid behind one tree, I saw the Men gathering in the woods, whispering to make sure they were all there. They were different from the captives Elrohir and I had ensnared earlier, their voices were smoother, their clothing in better condition. Nine of them, I counted. How ironic.

"...said they were taken here."

"They were, I told you! Why'd you have to knock that guard out- we could have used him to get around this place."

"Better safe than sorry."

"We will be sorry if we stay here much longer."

I was concentrating so hard on their conversation that I didn't hear the approach from behind. A hand fastened over my mouth at the same time my arms were pinned behind my back. I did not try to shriek. I just stood helplessly as my captor hissed to his fellows, "Over here! I caught one!" I glared angrily as the men gathered around me, my heart pounding once more. One of them laughed,

"This is the same one we almost had before! Pretty Elf, she is." He reached out to caress my chin, and I jerked my head away. The look in my eyes caused him to hesitate, and he pulled away with a suspicious look of his own. "Careful, she's a nasty bite."

"Should we use her to get around? She'll know where the others are being held."

The man who had just backed away from me shook his head. "No, she's a dangerous one. I wouldn't trust her. Send an escort with her and get her out of her." He grinned evilly. "We can use her for other purposes."

My blood ran cold. The man still holding me shoved me forward. I stumbled, and he lost his grip. I used that opportunity without thinking. I swung around and knocked him to the ground with a nice kick to the head. Screaming Elbereth's name just as thunder boomed and the sky opened up, I turned to face another when hands grabbed me from behind and once more pinned my arms. I kicked and fought, felt a sharp stabbing pain in the back of my skull, and the world went blank once more. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 For a while I watched him almost nervously, because I had no idea what to do if something happened to him. His hand stroked my cheek as we rested there, peacefully. After the stars had begun to show in the sky, I began to feel tired. I drifted off to the soft sounds of his breathing, only to be wakened moments later by his hands. 

"Mm?" I asked, still half asleep.

"I fear we were interrupted earlier." I felt his mouth on the side of my neck.

"Aren't you still weak?" I hadn't opened my eyes yet, because I had just gotten comfortable. 

"I am a healer. We recover fast." Now I felt his hands along my back.

"Wouldn't this be the cue for Glorfindel and all of Rivendell to come walking in?" I very obviously was tired.

"No." His finger tips lightly brushed the tip of my pointy ear before he kissed it. 

I ran my hand through his soft hair. It was constantly amazing me at how long and smooth it was. His sharp intake of breath caused me to open my eyes and look at him. He seemed fine, and I was a bit confused until he pulled me to him, hard, and locked his lips with mine. _Oh, that's why_, was my last thought that night. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I could feel the raindrops splattering on my back. The quiet forest was filled with the patter of water on leaves. Water ran down my nose. It tickled, and I could not brush it away as my hands were tied. I was on a horse. Its rough gait jarred me up and down, the saddle horn thrusting painfully into my ribs. I was tied in, couldn't move my legs they were bound so tightly to the stirrups. I did not know how long I had been in that position, only that my legs were numb from the cold and loss of circulation.

The cloak I was wearing was not my own. It was well-worn and rain leaked through the patches and even the fabric itself. It hadn't been washed in years. The smell, the jarring of the horse, the saddle horn in my abdomen, and my raw nerves filled me with nausea.

All that I could tell of where I was came from the sounds and smells around me. The cloak's hood was over my eyes, and I was too weak to lift my head from its position over the horse's neck. I drifted in and out of consciousness, bits and pieces of conversation entering my mind.

"We need a break! We can't keep up at this pace! It'll be dark soon and we'll loose our way!"

"By nightfall these woods will be swarming with Elves. We must keep moving!"

"They 'aven't come yet. If they were intent on rescuin' 'er, they'd be 'ere by now."

"We keep moving!"

And the jarring motion of the horse continued. 

I was on my own. I'd never had any other illusions. There was no way for anyone in Rivendell to know of what had happened until I was discovered missing in a day or two. Or until the guard was found. My scream of Elbereth's name had been lost in the thunder that boomed that moment.  

The men didn't say much, mostly grumbled warning comments and grunted as they walked. But when they did speak, I discovered that it was worthwhile to listen. They were all outlaws from the western lands near Bree, not affiliated with each other but forced into one company. The Rangers in the area had started clearing out the backwoods, and the outlaws had been forced to look for new homes.

Rangers. I wondered if Aragorn was one of them.

---------------

Water dribbled down my face, dripping onto my hands. I had been hearing sounds in the bushes beside us for a long time now. Someone was following us. A group of someones. Not Elves, judging by the noise they made. Most likely another group of bandits. My hearing was better than that of my captors, and they never would never see it coming. I did not care. I would most likely remain a captive, no matter who won in the fight that would eventually come. But I remained alert, ready for the chance to break loose and flee. I was not beaten yet.

I waited.

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I woke to the sounds of birdsong in the air, and rolled over to check on Elrond. He was breathing deeply, fast asleep. I felt a little guilty. Luitha had been hurt, and here I was, enjoying my time with my Elf. 

Quietly I rose and put on a dress-and-pants outfit. Why didn't the Elves have capris? I checked on Elrond once more before I left to see Luitha. He was still asleep. 

_Hmm,_ I thought_, his hair is messed up. I didn't think that happened. I suppose I'll have to brush it out. _With that cheerful thought I slipped through the door and set it to before walking down the hall. 

I softly rapped on the door before entering, but I heard nothing in reply. The first thing I saw was Elladan, fast asleep in the chair, and it looked like he was drooling. Now that was an image to destroy the graceful reputation of that twin. Elrohir looked well, and I went past that bed and thought the curtains separating the beds. 

Luitha's bed was empty. Where could she be? I looked out the window, but saw nothing. Puzzled, I walked back to the hall, only to run into Glorfindel.

"Checking on your friend?" He asked. His eyes looked, well, _knowing_. The 'I know what you did last' series came to mind, and I mentally replaced 'summer' with 'night'.

Oh, but there was a way to distract him. "She isn't there. Do you know where she might be?"

His brow furrowed. "Isn't there? She did not leave the room, Erestor watched the door all night, and in fact informed me of your entry. He did not fall asleep or walk away."

"Then I guess she jumped from the window." He didn't believe me. That was my biggest pet peeve in the world, when people didn't believe what you were telling them. I was pretty sure he didn't trust what I was saying for the same reasons most didn't, I was young, and I was a blonde. "Why don't you go check if you're so sure of yourself, Glorfindel."

"I shall do that." With that he went into the room. I followed him because I felt I would enjoy gloating over him. "She is not here!"

"Ya think?" I gave him my most sarcastic look, and turned to walk away. I had no desire to jump from the window, rather, I was going to use the stairs so I could search the grounds. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I did not have to wait long. As consciousness came floating back, the sounds of following feet came closer and more urgent. I did not realize the outlaws were being rushed until the sounds of shocked shouts and clashing swords came to my ears.

With an effort I did not know I had in me, I lifted my head. It took a moment for my eyes to orient in the light, dim as it was, and see through the drizzle. Fleeting shapes were everywhere, and the attackers seemed dressed the exact same way as my captors. More bandits, I thought in disgust. 

Adrenaline flowed through my veins and I immediately took action. I slapped the rear of the horse I was strapped to and rode down the nearest man I could see. He was knocked off his feet as I charged by, and I grabbed the sword from the sheath on his belt. He himself had not even had the time to draw it yet. I swung, facing the chaos in front of me again, and cut the bonds on my wrists and legs with the sword.

Now, to get out of there. I swung the horses' head toward the trail and prepared for take off.

Strange that at that moment, the barriers that had been shielding my mind came down. But perhaps it wasn't strange- I was weak and unable to hold them any longer. Many confusing thoughts invaded my head and I hesitated. One specific thought was foremost in the tendrils that reached me.

Rangers?

I whirled the horse's head around and headed back to the melee. Nearly all of my captors were down now, and I could see that the attackers- Rangers- were standing over them and making sure that they were all taken care of. 

I heard a sword drawn behind me and instantly reacted. "Hold! I am not your enemy!" I commanded

The Ranger hesitated at my flank and spoke in just as commanding a voice. "Then who are you?"

I was distracted by a hostile hand on my stirrup. I had not seen it coming on my other flank, and my weak legs gave no resistance as I was pulled of the saddle. Angry, I rolled down and on top of my own attacker. He threw me off and I hit the ground with a gut-wrenching gasp. He was nearly on top of me again when several Rangers lunged at once from behind and pinned him to the ground. But in doing this they relaxed their vigilance on their current prisoners, and for a moment, I thought the fight would resume all over again.

That's when I saw the bow laying on the ground beside me. I knelt, snatched a few arrows that lay scattered on the ground, and fired from where I was. The remaining bandits dropped to the ground, moaning and clutching their legs.

One of the Rangers got up and came over, holding out his hand. He was cloaked, like the rest, and I realized this was why I had not been able to distinguish them from my captors. He pulled me to my feet. He watched long enough to make sure that I could stand on my own. "My thanks for your help, friend. But I am curious to discover how you got into the company of such as they."

That voice... I looked up to see his face, but it was hidden by the shadows of his hood. All I could see were two blue lights piercing through the shade.

At that same moment, another Ranger called over "Strider, we are missing six."

Strider... 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Carefully I combed the ground until I found the spot Luitha had landed. From there it was easy to find her trail. My only problem weighed about two hundred pounds and kept following me. 

"Glorfindel, are you stalking me?"

"No, I am as curious as you as to what happened to your friend."

"Well, the least you could do is stay about a foot away from me. It's hard to concentrate when someone is peering over your shoulder!" He backed off, but then I tripped over something. Glorfindel held out a hand to help me up. After a moment's thought I took it, only to have him suddenly let go when he saw what I had tripped over.

"Ow! Glorfindel..." I stopped as he dragged a man out of the bushes, in the same garb as the prisoners. "Oh dear."

"And her tracks end here. We seem to have a problem on our hands." 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 The Ranger in front of me glanced over to his companion, finally removing the hood from his head as he turned. "They are not here?" It was Aragorn.

My heart pounded within my chest. My lungs tightened. I couldn't breathe. For a moment I thought I would pass out.

Aragorn turned his attention back to me. "What is your name? Who are you?" he asked in a low voice.

"Estel?" I asked softly. Aragorn froze. He reached up and gently pushed back the hood from my own head. As it fell, his eyes widened and his head tilted to the side, as though he could not believe what he saw.

"El luitha?" He let out his breath in one gasp along with my name.

One of his companions came striding over, staring at me. "An Elf? What is she doing here?"

Aragorn shook his head as though to clear it, but did not move his eyes from mine. "She is from Rivendell... What happened El?" he asked softly. 

I quickly explained what had happened to Elrohir and I. "That would explain your missing bandits, at any rate." I finished.

"Good," Aragorn said. "Then let us take these to Rivendell and let Lord Elrond decide what is to be done with them. They invaded his land, he should have a say in their punishment." The other Ranger walked off.

"You are hurt." I touched the long red wound on his arm.

"It is no matter." He swallowed. suddenly the world spun, and I leaned against the nearest tree for support, closing my eyes to keep the dizziness at bay. Aragorn arms immediately wrapped around me. He picked me up and I felt the hard leather of a saddle slide beneath me. Aragorn whispered in my ear,

"I am here El. I will not leave you this time."

The next thing I heard was Tadan's cry of joy, and I looked up with a weak smile.

"I guess it's my turn to rest up, huh?"

She only smiled back.

------------------------------------------------------ 

Tadandader HalfElven 

Glorfindel and I both turned to run back to Rivendell, but then we saw a party of men on horses.

I picked out Luitha easily. "There she is!" I dashed toward the party, and was not too surprised to see that the man holding her was Aragorn.

"Did you rescue her, Aragorn?" I asked, mischief sparkling in my eyes.

"Why yes, we did, my Lady," he answered.  Luitha looked up with a weak smile.

"I guess it's my turn to rest up, huh?" she said.

 "What, were you getting jealous over the treatment Elrond was giving me?" I teased Luitha, but inside I was a bit afraid. She looked pretty awful, and Elrond was still tired. What if he couldn't complete her healing? Then I remembered my hovering Elf, Glorfindel. 

Estel dismounted and handed Luitha to Glorfindel, who looked serious for a moment as he mentally examined her injuries. Then he looked at Estel and I. "She is not too badly hurt. I shall carry her back to her room, and then heal her. Do not worry, she will be fine." 

Now it was my turn to hover. I followed him to the room, where Elladan and Elrohir had recently awoken, and Elrond was checking on them. 

Elrond glanced at us as we entered, but his eyes widened at the sight of Luitha's injuries. "Here, I can.." Glorfindel waved him off. 

"I can. Attend your son, my Lord." Elrond looked me over first, as if to make sure I was unhurt as well. 

I grinned. "No, this adventure was exclusively Luitha's."

He nodded, and went back to Elrohir, while I watched Glorfindel heal the now sleeping Luitha. After probably about an hour, he was done. It was kind of hard to tell the time without watches, but I was getting there.

"She shall wake soon. Do not let her get up, but you can speak with her." I nodded thanks, and then realized he was speaking to someone behind me. Oh, I'd kind of forgotten him. Luckily there were more than one chair, so we each pulled one up and waited for Luitha to wake. 

During the wait, Elrond pulled a third chair over to her bed, and sat down. His eyes constantly flickered between all three of us. I wondered what he was thinking, but before I got up the nerve to ask him, Luitha woke. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 When I finally woke, I began to wonder if I had become the main attraction at Rivendell. I opened my eyes to see Tadan, Aragorn, and Elrond peering down at me. Elrohir and Elladan were watching me from across the room. And Glorfindel chose that moment to walk in with dinner.

"What?" escaped from my lips before I could check it. "I'm not dead yet!" Tadan and Aragorn seemed to understand. They let their breath out in a chuckle and visibly relaxed. Glorfindel smiled and put down his tray.

"Elrohir, Elladan? Would you mind moving to another room? It seems Luitha has quite the crowd." With a grin, the twins picked up and moved out of the room right then. Glorfindel gave a final glance over us, his gaze resting on Elrond. The two locked eyes for a moment before Glorfindel nodded and left the room.

I explained all that had happened to me over dinner. Tadan and Elrond were full of questions while Aragorn was oddly silent. He seemed to refuse to even look at me. I knew it was because of Elrond's presence, and I wondered just what was going through his mind at that moment. Aragorn kept his head down, sitting quietly in the background. I loved Tadan dearly, but I desired nothing more in that moment than to be alone with him.

But I noticed several things while Tadan and Elrond were there. Like the way he casually rested a hand on her arm, always sought her eyes when speaking. The admiration was obvious in his eyes now. They had grown closer while I had been gone. And he had somehow connived Tadan into a beautiful green dress. Oh I was going to get her later for that one... 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 As we talked, I noticed Aragorn's silence. I figured he was probably still thinking of his talk with Elrond. Luitha seemed to notice too. I was partially grateful when Elladan poked his head into the room and said that Erestor wanted to speak with Elrond. Only partially, though, because he was no longer holding my hand. 

When Elrond left, Estel finally looked up and at Luitha.

"You've been rather quiet," she said.

"It's just that.." he trailed off, glancing at me. I decided it was time to leave the room. 

"If you will excuse me, I have something I must say to Elrond." 

I rose and was almost out the door when Luitha called out, "Say? Are you sure you are just going to talk?"

I turned around as gracefully as possible, and asked, "What do you mean by that?"

She grinned. Honestly, at times she reminded me of the Cheshire Cat. "I saw his hand on yours. And on your arm. And in your hair. Are you just going to talk to him?

I felt my face turn red. She knew me too well. I would have been fine if the two of us had been alone, but now Aragorn was grinning. 

"Talking is what civilized people do. We shall talk." I opened the door, but neither of us enjoyed letting the other have the last word.

"So you were talking last night? Is that how his hair got a little messed up?"

I was crimson, but I did not turn to face her. Instead I opened the door and just as I walked out replied, "I was only doing what you want to do with the Ranger!" There. That should do it. I dashed out the door quickly enough that I didn't hear a reply. My grin was almost as big as hers, because if that hadn't made him realize what she felt for him, nothing would. _Have fun, Luitha!_ I thought. 

------------------------------------------------------ El luitha uren  

 I had to say, I was very proud of myself for still managing to keep a rather calm face despite Tadan's last words. The blush certainly didn't feel as though it got all the way to my ear tips... but close. Aragorn smiled and cocked an eyebrow, but thankfully said nothing. I didn't know what to say. But I didn't have to worry long. Aragorn stood up and walked toward a side-door.

"Get some rest. I will be back shortly." I was confused. Had I done something wrong? But Aragorn left, and my eyelids were heavy. I watched the stars, became fascinated by the patterns their light played on the bed. Sleep caught me unaware even before I had realized it.

I woke to a sudden pressure on the bed on either side of me. Soft lips brushed my own, and I responded without hesitation, lifting a finger to trace the rough curves of his chin.

He pulled back, and I opened my eyes to meet two blue lights that shone with the brightness of Earendil. He was nearly laying on top of me, holding himself up on either side of me with his arms. My other hand rose to follow the curves of his shoulder down his biceps, and I discovered with some surprise that he was clad only in a pair of pants. I moved my hand up along his back, lightly tracing his spine, smiling as he closed his eyes and shivered.

"It has been so long since I last saw you," He murmured, watching my eyes.

"Do you still care not for consequences?" I asked softly. In response, he lowered himself completely, covering my mouth with his own. I responded willingly, running my hands down his back and through his hair. How long I had yearned for this moment! His hands slid down my back, under the cotton shirt that I had been wearing. His mouth was sweet and tender on my own, and my heart raced with passion.

Those days (months? years?) I had spent without him had proved nothing that Elrond had wanted them to prove. I knew now with certainty how I felt.

"I love you," I mumbled as his kisses moved down along my neck. He stopped and met my eyes once more, studying them. He swallowed.

"And I love you, _El luitha 'uren_," he whispered softly back, almost in wonder, as he caressed my cheek. He bent to touch his lips to my own again, and I became lost in his blue eyes. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I tried to keep from laughing as I strolled through the halls, but I couldn't help but feel a little guilty. I hadn't told Luitha that if one was weak, they broadcasted. Estel certainly didn't know. Ah well, perhaps Elrond wouldn't mind distracting me. Then the broadcast stopped. Ah, she had remembered. That was so much better for the both of them, and any poor Elves who were stuck hearing, like me. 

I turned a corner and found Glorfindel with my nose. Literally, as my nose went into his chest. Which kind of hurt my poor nose. 

"I'm sorry, sir, I didn't see you..." Well that was weak. Of course I didn't see him. He just looked at me.

"What are your intentions toward Elrond?" Now that was straight to the point. 

I had three options. First, I could hit Glorfindel over the head and run away. I didn't think that would work. Second, I could point and say, "Oh, look! It's a Balrog!" and run away. That probably wouldn't work either. So I was left with option three, which was to answer.

However, I didn't feel like making it easy, so I answered with a question. "Right now?"

"What are all of your intentions toward the Lord of Imladris?" Oo, now he was sticking a title on. Was that supposed to impress me or scare me?

"At the moment, I want to find him so I can kiss him again. However, I seem to have fallen in love with him, and intend to marry him if he'll have me, which I hope he will. I want to be by his side for anything and everything."

"And should you return to the world from whence you came?"

"I would do anything in my power to return. While I do find myself homesick from time to time, I have realized that I probably will not find another who means as much to me as Elrond does." I met his eyes squarely. I was telling the complete truth, and if he didn't like it, he would still end up living with it. 

He gazed into my eyes, and we stood there for a minute. Finally he nodded. "I will stay out of your way. But if you do anything that could possibly cause harm to Rivendell, you will be removed." He walked off. I stood there shaking. No wonder why the Elf had been reborn. He had probably scared Mandos' boots off!

Elrond walked around the corner to see me standing there. "Tadan, I was just looking for you."

"You were?" I smiled at him, and his beautiful eyes smiled back at me as he kissed me softly. 

"Shall we go upstairs, my Lady?" I grinned and kissed him back. 


	7. To Bombadil's, Tolkien's, and Barliman's...

_Just a reminder… much more of this story has been written, and it's available at the link on the first page. The reason the uploading to fanfiction is taking so slow is because we're editing and adding new scenes to this version. Thank you for the reviews! And now back to your regularly scheduled Journey…_

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El luitha uren  

 I woke the next morning and discovered that for the first time, I had slept with my back to the sun. I could feel its rays warming my skin, but I was no longer looking directly at it. I sighed in relief.

Aragorn was sleeping quietly, one arm under my head, the other wrapped around my waist. I couldn't have moved if I had tried. Not that I wanted to. His face was peaceful, for once. He no longer seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. That would change, I thought sadly. Would I still be here for it?

I reached up and gently kissed his lips. He stirred, readjusting his head and opening his eyes. With a smile, he moved his hand from my waist and gently pushed back curls from my eyes. I knew what he was thinking, though not from my very irregular telepathy. How had I retained my curly hair? I had Hobbit hair, not Elvish hair.

Without a word, he leaned over and caressed my lips with his own. I moved closer into him and could feel the heat of my body rising, and not from the sun this time. He wrapped his hand around my waist again and pulled me tightly to him. I stroked his back, admiring his smooth skin and enjoying the sensation of his body against mine.

It was over too soon. I knew, without fully understanding why, that someone was coming down the hall to our room, and I pulled away. He looked at me questioningly, and as I motioned toward the door, he simply nodded and rolled over.

I wondered at both our reactions. Did we not want to be discovered? Finding the two of us in bed together, even with him shirtless, would not create a stir. How much did we want Elrond to know? What was I to tell Tadan? 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 I walked down the hall to what was now Luitha's room, feeling pretty sure that they had stopped. Then I heard Luitha's thoughts about how intense last night had been and how he was kissing her now. I froze. Perhaps now was not a good time. And then they stopped. It wasn't as if Luitha had put her shields back up, I sensed am anxiousness about her. Oh, they had heard my footsteps, no doubt. I walked a bit closer, and gave them what I felt was ample time to get dressed before I knocked.

"Come in!" called Luitha. They were both fully dressed (that was a relief) and Aragorn was sitting in the chair. Did they want me to think nothing had happened?

Well, I had an important decision to make. Did I tell Luitha about her ever so often broadcasts during the night, or did I let her wonder why every Elf in Rivendell was staring at her? Some of those thoughts had been pretty, well, interesting. Oh well, she should know. After all, it had been her thoughts.

"Have fun last night?" I grinned.

She gave me her most innocent look. "What do you mean?"

I was almost laughing now. "You were, how shall we put this, broadcasting. Quite often. There were some, um, interesting parts. I think all of Rivendell liked them."

She turned bright red. "No, you're teasing."

I shook my head 'no' while beginning to giggle. "Everyone knows. Even Elrond, and he thought your thoughts were pretty hilarious."

Aragorn was on his feet. "What is 'broadcasting'?"

"When an Elf is weak, their telepathic shields do not work and they end up projecting their thoughts out. At some points your shields were up, but, well.." I grinned again. Luitha looked like she wanted to melt thought the floor. 

Glorfindel entered, and very obviously did not look at Luitha or Aragorn. "Tell me she's teasing!" Luitha moaned.

He looked up, laughter in his eyes. "By the redness of your face, I doubt it."

"Oh no. oh no oh no oh no.." Luitha sank onto her bed, and Glorfindel crossed over to her. 

"I must check on your health, although I am pretty certain you are very well. And well exercised."

_What do you know?_ I thought. _His sense of humor is close to mine!_ Luitha endured his scan, and I watched him leave. He was laughing as he closed the door behind him.

"Should I give the two of you some time alone?" I needed to get out of the room before I fell to the ground laughing. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I wasn't certain if I wanted to flee into the woods or get up and throttle Tadan. Well, throttling my friend probably would not accomplish a whole lot. It wasn't her fault. I did not want to ask the question, but did anyway, a hand covering my eyes.

"How much did you hear?"

I thought her face would burst, her grin was so big. "Not many coherent thoughts. And you blocked it somehow eventually, but I got an earful in the beginning of last night and this morning. I think most Elves were asleep. If they heard anything, they're probably convinced it was in a dream."

"And Elrond?" Aragorn had a hand rubbing his forehead too.

"Heard everything I did."

My darned Elvish gift! Why couldn't I get a hold of it like Tadan could?

"I don't know, Luitha. But you'd better have Glorfindel or someone get it under control soon," she responded. I hadn't spoken out loud. I threw myself down on the bed and put a pillow over my head. "I'll go get Glorfindel now." Tadan left the room abruptly, and I heard her laughter beyond the closed door.

I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder and rolled over. Aragorn sat on the bed next to me, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

"I'm sorry," I told him, still completely mortified.

"Do not be. It was not your fault. Things cannot be changed now." A secretive and definitely mischievous smile drew across his face. "Are you broadcasting now?"

"There's no way for me to stop it. I think so."

"Good." He leaned down and pressed his lips against mine, sliding his hands beneath me and lifting me to his chest. I was dizzy with an adrenaline rush when he pulled away. "We wanted to let the world know how happy we are, did we not?" 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I was still laughing. Maybe I had gone a little too far, but by the thoughts coming from her right now, I was pretty sure they would survive. I walked into the Chamber of Fire and saw Glorfindel and Elrond sitting and talking. 

"Excuse me," I said softly. They both looked up. Elrond was smiling, and Glorfindel looked uncertain. "When they are, um, less occupied, I think Luitha would like to begin learning how to better control her telepathy."

Glorfindel tilted his head to the side as if listening. "I wonder why you think that?" 

Elrohir walked in. "Perhaps so some of us can get some sleep?"

Elladan followed behind him. "Nah, that couldn't be it. I think its so her friend doesn't die of mortification. Just think of how everyone will be staring at her for the next week. Where are the two of you from that you have not been trained in your abilities?"

I looked at him, a bit puzzled. "Am I still broadcasting? I thought I had it under control!"

Elrohir glanced over at his father before turning back to me. "No, not broadcasting. Do you mean he hasn't told you yet?"

I searched Elrond's eyes. "Tell me what?"

"You have a strength in you that indicates you may have one or more of the Elvish gifts."

I stared at him blankly. Elvish gifts? For all I knew, he was talking about Christmas in Rivendell.

"Elvish gifts," repeated Glorfindel. At my confused look he apparently became confused. "Did they teach you nothing? How were you raised?"

"I was raised by humans. I thought I was a human. Luitha was the only Elf I knew until we met all of you, and I originally thought she was human too."

Now I had an audience. Elrond had heard it before, but it was still puzzling the twins and a few others who had, like regular, come to discuss matters in the council chamber.

"The gifts include control of nature, healing, understanding nature, and others. I think we shall go to the garden and see what you are able to do after lunch." Elrond looked happy. I felt a little relieved. I mean, if I couldn't aim an arrow to save my life, at least I could do something else. 

"I look forward to it, Elrond."

Glorfindel rolled his eyes. "Say lover and be done with it, child." I almost objected, but realized that I was a child in years compared to he. I kept my mouth shut and nodded to Elrond. Now I had to find something to do until lunchtime, for I was becoming bored. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 It was amazing how fast I recuperated. By mid-morning I was on my feet and ready to cause trouble again. Aragorn continued to sleep, so I passed quietly out of the room alone. I paused on the balcony to intake an airful of lungs, breathing in the sweet smell of the flowers and the crisp morning. I saw Tadan wandering about below me and called her name, running down the stairs to meet her.

I would not throttle her, I sternly told myself. So instead, I flung myself into a hug with her, grinning at the look she gave me. Oh what, like she hadn't done the same many times with Elrond? Of course, I hadn't overheard it...

"Around noon we have to meet Glorfindel and Elrond for some more training." I looked guiltily at her. She only grinned at me and continued. "For other reasons. Apparently we have other gifts too. Oh, and Glorfindel knows about our human upbringing now. Needless to say, he was a little surprised."

Oh I bet he would be. I could just see the haughty and glorious Elf of Rivendell staring down at Tadan as she admitted she'd only really been an Elf since she had arrived.

We were walking along the edge of the forest now. I whistled and a few moments later, an answering neigh responded. Asfaloth came galloping up, throwing his head and dancing in circles around us.

Tadan's eyes widened. "Is this Asfaloth?" I nodded happily, taking his head in my hands and rubbing his soft nose.

"Come on, hop up." She gave me a strange look. I grinned at her. "I passed Elrohir in the hall. He wanted me to take you out and let you get a horse. Get on! I'll climb on after you."

We rode out to the same meadow that I had visited with Elrohir not long ago. Sliding off after her, I instructed, "Just whistle and she what happens!"

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 With my luck, or, perhaps better, as fate would have it, I was likely to get a lame, ugly horse. But I shrugged, whistled, and waited. And waited. I looked at Luitha. I knew better than to think she wouldn't try to get me back for both last night and this morning.

"Very funny. Now how do I get a..." I trailed off as a lovely black horse with an almost silver star-shaped patch rode up to me. "Oh my. Now aren't you beautiful!" I was awestruck. "So how do we find out his name? Or her name. I really don't know much about horses except how to ride one."

"I don't know. Maybe you could ask?"

Elrohir rode up. "Why, its about time Miel chose an owner!"

"Miel? Star?"

He smiled. "You do have to admit that it's fitting for his forehead, right?"

I nodded mutely, and then swung up carefully. Miel was the tallest horse I had ever ridden, and I almost didn't make it. That would be irony right there, I thought, if I fell off just trying to mount. But I gained a seat, bareback, and grinned at Luitha.

"Wanna ride?"

She smiled. I wasn't sure whether or not she recalled the quote, but we were off in a heartbeat, Elrohir not far behind. 

After a few minutes of pretty hard riding, we came to a very peaceful and lovely clearing. I stopped just to admire the view, and to let the other two catch up. Miel was pretty darn fast. 

"You know," I began to Luitha, "I want to visit the Shire."

She looked at me curiously.

"I want to meet Tolkien, ask him all of my many questions, and just chill in Hobbiton. I think it would be neat!"

Luitha gazed at the distant mountains before answering. "I'd like to go too. Do you think it will be all right with Elrond?"

We both looked at Elrohir. He eyed us for a minute before answering. "He will be busy for the next three weeks. I suppose if you wanted to slip away then, it would be all right. You would have to check with him first, though."

Luitha and I grinned at each other. This would be fun. Then all three of us noticed the time at the same moment. We needed to get back fast if we wanted lunch! Turning, we galloped back. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 We scrambled up after Elrohir to an open platform that looked out over all of Rivendell. On the way there, I quietly dropped in to check on Aragorn. He was still sleeping, and I had to tear myself away from watching him.

Elrond and Glorfindel were in discussion and stopped to look at us as we entered. Elrohir stood in position at the entrance. Glorfindel approached me.

"Sit." He motioned toward a stone slab that looked to function as a bench. I sat. He sat beside me, placed both hands on my temples, and closed his eyes. "Clear your mind."

It wasn't so easy. I tried, but I kept seeing things that I was pretty sure I wasn't supposed to see. Images from Glorfindel's mind floated to my own, and the primary image was Tadan. He distrusted her, and at the same time, was somewhat attracted to her. Attracted to her? My eyes flew open at the same time his did, and I regarded him without a word. He said nothing in return, and I knew that I was to drop the thought. Fine, his business, not mine. 

------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 "Feel your mind opening. There is a gate in your walls, and it is open." An idle thought crossed my mind. How was I supposed to keep my mind clear if I was visualizing stuff? "It works, believe me. Now keep your mind clear. I am going to probe into your mind. It is not for memories, rather I am searching for the part of your mind that is in control of your special abilities. It may feel rather odd, as I do not believe it has ever been accessed before. Open the gate."

In my mind, a huge, three-times reinforced gate swung open. I kind of liked my fortress. No army would ever have a hope of successfully besieging it. 

"Perhaps. But please keep your mind clear." I concentrated, and felt his thoughts begin to merge with mine. Slowly he searched, for the area was different with every person. I saw different pictures of many people and places, and was not too surprised to see me through his eyes. What shocked me was that the mental picture he had of me was so much more good-looking than in real life. 

I couldn't help myself. "Is that how you see me?" I whispered, touched by the emotions attached to the image. 

"Yes." he whispered back. If what we were doing hadn't been so important, I would have kissed him right then and there, forget the fact that Glorfindel was watching. But we were busy, and I contented myself with stroking his cheek softly. 

Suddenly the probing stopped. His eyes focused on mine again. "Do you feel where I am?"

I nodded.

"There is a closed door there. Open it." I did so, and felt an odd sensation rush into my hands. I looked at them, for they felt extremely warm. Perhaps it was a healing ability? After all, that had felt warm. Then his eyes widened. "Stop! Remove the heat form you hands! Know that there is NO heat!" He seemed urgent, so I focused it away. 

I felt a hand on my shoulder. "What is wrong?" Glorfindel sounded very concerned, and had left Luitha. Why did he leave Luitha? She needed the training too. Oh, he probably wanted to make sure I wasn't acting up around my 'betters'.

Elrond hesitated before answering. "She has two abilities. The first is a minor skill in healing. With the second, she can start fires at will. I fear she was unknowingly about to set the deck aflame." 

My eyes widened in shock. "Oh shoot. That would have been great." My sarcasm was very evident on my voice, and I employed it to hide the fear that was welling up in my heart. If I had set fire to the deck, who might have been injured?

"Tadan, it is under control now. I have set barriers into your mind, so only should you need it will you be able to start a fire." His eyes met mine, comforting, understanding, for he still was in my mind.

"I thought that talent was gone?" Glorfindel seemed confused. And he still hadn't taken his hand off my shoulder. 

"Every couple hundred years it returns. Luckily, I have dealt with it before. Now, Tadan, if you will concentrate again, I will begin to train you in you other, less volatile ability." Glorfindel's hand left my shoulder, and he walked back to Luitha. 

------------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 "I will be back." I had a sudden vision of Glorfindel stalking off as the Terminator and held back a giggle. He and Elrond seemed to be in discussion about Tadan, and I watched curiously. They seemed surprised and concerned about something. Was she all right?

Glorfindel returned. "I am sorry, let us continue."

"What's wrong with Tadan?"

"Nothing is wrong. She has the abnormal ability to control fire, that is all."

Oh well, if that was all. 

I stopped myself from snorting. Glorfindel replaced his hands on my head, frowning. It felt as though someone was breaking and entering into my mind.

"I am breaking through the barriers I set up in your mind," Glorfindel said in a monotone, walking me through his steps. "Can you feel them go down? Good, now replace them with a wall of your own. Move it up and down. Can you hold it there?" I could. Glorfindel proceeded past them.

"That will keep thoughts in and out. You have an exceptionally powerful gift of telepathy, it will be hard to control. Most control of this gift is instinctive. You will learn over time and with usage. Now I will find out what other gifts you possess."

I felt lightheaded as he moved around. A rush of energy flooded my body, and I felt that every nerve tingled. It was a very odd sensation, and I was struck by how strange the whole situation was. But my thoughts were broken by Glorfindel's monotone.

"You have a powerful healing gift as well."

Powerful healing gift? Well that would explain my rapid recovery from the lightning and kidnapping, as I guessed it applied to self-healing as well.

I opened my eyes to see Elrond and Tadan standing in front of me.

"Luitha, Tadan says you wish to visit the Shire?" 

---------------------------------------------------------

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I was surprised that Elrond had agreed so easily to the trip to the Shire. After all, I had just almost burnt the deck down around us. But after examining the potential of my abilities, he had declared that I was safe, as long as I didn't get struck by lightening. 

Now Luitha and I were packing. However, most of our garments were dresses. I had tried to tell Elrond that I really enjoyed wearing the type of clothing a Ranger wore. He had of course told me that I looked absolutely stunning and enticing in a dress. That stopped my protests. I glanced at Luitha. If she ever found out about that, I would never hear the end of it. 

A knock on the door distracted me. "Come in!" we called together. Elrond brought in something very shiny. 

"Could you excuse us for a moment, Luitha?" he asked. She grinned at me and left wordlessly. He looked at me. "I have something for you." He unwrapped a long silver dress that was absolutely gorgeous. "I would like you to wear this when you visit Tolkien. He is held in high esteem among many, and it would not do for you to wear something ordinary to meet him. And there is this." He brought out a small box and handed it to me. I opened it to find a replica of his crown in silver. 

I was stunned. "Thank you.." I mumbled, awed by the crown. He took the box and its contents and set them on the bed, then clasped my hands with his. 

"I will miss you, though you shall be gone only a short time. Are you sure you do not want an escort?" I shook my head mutely. Luitha and I wanted to hang out together again.

"Very well." He ran his hand through my hair, which was getting longer, and firmly kissed my mouth. I embraced him and kissed him back. I wasn't sure if it was going to end until there was another knock on the door.

"Tadan, Elrond, can I come back in? We leave in an hour, and I still have to finish packing!" We pulled away reluctantly.

"Come in, Luitha," I called, and Elrond squeezed my hand before leaving the room.

She came in holding a dress of her own, and I caught sight of Estel in the hall before Elrond closed the door behind us. 

"Oh, what's that?" I asked, at the same time she pointed to my dress and box and asked the same question.

We laughed. "You first," I said. 

She gave me a look and shrugged. "All right," she resignedly answered. 

--------------------------------------------------

El luitha uren  

 I closed the door quietly, watching them until the last moment, grinning as I saw his hand reach up to touch her cheek. I was so happy for her.

An arm wrapped around my waist, and I closed my eyes and leaned into Aragorn's chest without even turning around.

"You're supposed to be in bed."

"You're leaving?" His voice was rough and low. I turned in his arms and placed my hands on his chest. His grey-blue eyes were dulled and his face seemed worn with cares again. How had he found out? "Elrohir told me."

I started. I thought I had my thought projecting under control! He smiled. "I have always been able to hear you, El. Not in coherent thoughts, but in emotions and feelings. I do not know why. Have you not felt the same?"

I had. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart yearned to stay with Aragorn, but I wanted to go all the same. I reached up and pushed his own long hair behind his ear.

"This is the way it must be. You are a Ranger, and will not often be in the same part of the world that I am. Rest here and go back to your wanderings. I will be here again when you return."

"And if you are not? The world is a dangerous place El, you do not know..."

"No. I don't know. That's why I am leaving, Aragorn, to find out. My heart burns to wander, just as yours does. I will be back."

He sighed and took my hand, leading me into his room down the hall without a word. I waited by the bed as he left me to search around in a drawer. He pulled out dark clothing in various shades of brown and green.

"Here," he handed them to me. "I know that you cannot always wear dresses, and meant to give you this a long time ago." I took the Ranger-like clothing with a smile and waited as he then pulled out a package, wrapped in a dark blue silk cloth. 

"Open it," he commanded. The silk fell away from the dress and I touched the fabric gingerly. It was a midnight blue that contrasted brilliantly with the light blue of my eyes. I did not speak, just held the dress in wonder. I did not notice him walk around me, but suddenly felt his hands reach around to clasp something on my neck. I looked curiously at him and he led me to a mirror. A silver-white star hung on a short chain, and I put a hand up to caress it.

"That is the light of Earendil inside the pendent," he told me softly. "I visited Lorien recently and asked it of the Lady Galadriel."

"Thank you," I told him softly. "I wish I had something to give you in return."

He smiled and touched my face again, stroking my cheek with his calloused thumb before leaning over and kissing me softly. I leaned into him as his arms wrapped around me, not wanting to let go.

"Come back soon, El luitha 'uren."

I left him in the room, staring mournfully after me, and walked down the hallway. Knocking and announcing that I had to pack, I entered to see Tadan waiting for me, her own dress in hand. 


	8. Many Meetings

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I was surprised that Elrond had agreed so easily to the trip to the Shire. After all, I had just almost burnt the deck down around us. But after examining the potential of my abilities, he had declared that I was safe, as long as I didn't get struck by lightening. 

Now Luitha and I were packing. However, most of our garments were dresses. I had tried to tell Elrond that I really enjoyed wearing the type of clothing a Ranger wore. He had of course told me that I looked absolutely stunning and enticing in a dress. That stopped my protests. I glanced at Luitha. If she ever found out about that, I would never hear the end of it. 

A knock on the door distracted me. "Come in!" we called together. Elrond brought in something very shiny. 

"Could you excuse us for a moment, Luitha?" he asked. She grinned at me and left wordlessly. He looked at me. "I have something for you." He unwrapped a long silver dress that was absolutely gorgeous. "I would like you to wear this when you visit Tolkien. He is held in high esteem among many, and it would not do for you to wear something ordinary to meet him. And there is this." He brought out a small box and handed it to me. I opened it to find a replica of his crown in silver. 

I was stunned. "Thank you.." I mumbled, awed by the crown. He took the box and its contents and set them on the bed, then clasped my hands with his. 

"I will miss you, though you shall be gone only a short time. Are you sure you do not want an escort?" I shook my head mutely. Luitha and I wanted to hang out together again.

"Very well." He ran his hand through my hair, which was getting longer, and firmly kissed my mouth. I embraced him and kissed him back. I wasn't sure if it was going to end until there was another knock on the door.

"Tadan, Elrond, can I come back in? We leave in an hour, and I still have to finish packing!" We pulled away reluctantly.

"Come in, Luitha," I called, and Elrond squeezed my hand before leaving the room. 

She came in holding a dress of her own, and I caught sight of Estel in the hall before Elrond closed the door behind us. 

"Oh, what's that?" I asked, at the same time she pointed to my dress and box and asked the same question.

We laughed. "You first," I said. 

She gave me a look and shrugged. "All right," she resignedly answered. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 I closed the door quietly, watching them until the last moment, grinning as I saw his hand reach up to touch her cheek. I was so happy for her.

An arm wrapped around my waist, and I closed my eyes and leaned into Aragorn's chest without even turning around.

"You're supposed to be in bed."

"You're leaving?" His voice was rough and low. I turned in his arms and placed my hands on his chest. His grey-blue eyes were dulled and his face seemed worn with cares again. How had he found out? "Elrohir told me."

I started. I thought I had my thought projecting under control! He smiled. "I have always been able to hear you, El. Not in coherent thoughts, but in emotions and feelings. I do not know why. Have you not felt the same?"

I had. Tears welled up in my eyes. My heart yearned to stay with Aragorn, but I wanted to go all the same. I reached up and pushed his own long hair behind his ear.

"This is the way it must be. You are a Ranger, and will not often be in the same part of the world that I am. Rest here and go back to your wanderings. I will be here again when you return."

"And if you are not? The world is a dangerous place El, you do not know..."

"No. I don't know. That's why I am leaving, Aragorn, to find out. My heart burns to wander, just as yours does. I will be back."

He sighed and took my hand, leading me into his room down the hall without a word. I waited by the bed as he left me to search around in a drawer. He pulled out dark clothing in various shades of brown and green.

"Here," he handed them to me. "I know that you cannot always wear dresses, and meant to give you this a long time ago." I took the Ranger-like clothing with a smile and waited as he then pulled out a package, wrapped in a dark blue silk cloth. 

"Open it," he commanded. The silk fell away from the dress and I touched the fabric gingerly. It was a midnight blue that contrasted brilliantly with the light blue of my eyes. I did not speak, just held the dress in wonder. I did not notice him walk around me, but suddenly felt his hands reach around to clasp something on my neck. I looked curiously at him and he led me to a mirror. A silver-white star hung on a short chain, and I put a hand up to caress it.

"That is the light of Earendil inside the pendent," he told me softly. "I visited Lorien recently and asked it of the Lady Galadriel."

"Thank you," I told him softly. "I wish I had something to give you in return."

He smiled and touched my face again, stroking my cheek with his calloused thumb before leaning over and kissing me softly. I leaned into him as his arms wrapped around me, not wanting to let go.

"Come back soon, El luitha 'uren."

I left him in the room, staring mournfully after me, and walked down the hallway. Knocking and announcing that I had to pack, I entered to see Tadan waiting for me, her own dress in hand. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 After a few days of traveling, we reached Bree. I wanted to act like a tourist, so after pleading with Luitha we went in. 

I smiled as Barliman poured us drinks, seemingly nervous about serving two Elf ladies. I watched Luitha's eyes constantly go to the corner where Strider would watch the Hobbits when they came to Bree. 

Finally I broke the silence. "Luitha, I really don't mean to be depressing, but what are we going to do?"

She looked at me, not understanding what I meant. 

"You love Estel. He loves you. I love Elrond. He loves me. And yet, I feel that for us to part would be wrong. If you died while I lived, I could not bear it. Neither could I do that to Elrond. Then, I do not think you could watch Aragorn die."

Comprehension flooded her eyes. "I don't know, Tadan, I don't know. I don't want to think on it, yet I know we should. Perhaps this trip will provide some much needed illumination."

I nodded, and turned to watch a musician set up in the common room. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 It was decidedly eerie to be in the Prancing Pony. It also had been decidedly eerie to travel along the road from Rivendell to Bree, knowing that in a few years the hobbits would be taking the same path. We passed the Ford and Amon Sul with our mouths open, trying to decide if we should giggle hysterically or just stare in wonder.

Now in Bree, things had not changed. Elves were far and few between in the inn, apparently, because we got enough stares as to make me wonder if I had grown horns. People left us well enough alone, and we sat at a table by the window, talking quietly to each other.

I wasn't surprised by Tadan's question. But I really did not know how to answer. I hadn't been thinking of it. In truth, I'd been avoiding the very thought. Her eyes locked on the star I wore around my neck now as my own gaze drifted back again to the corner. When would I see him again? I could not have been any easier for Tadan- this was the first time she had been away from Elrond since we'd arrived in Rivendell.

We sat watching the musicians set up, when Tadan broke the silence again. "I want a keychain."

I grinned at her. "I don't think they have keychains in Middle Earth."

"Well why not? They have keys don't they? You'd think they'd have keychains with 'BREE' written on it, or some kind of merchandise."

Barliman came back over, and Tadan began her stint as a tourist. I hid my head in my hands.

"Excuse me, do you have any keychains or anything?"

"Key- chains, m'lady?"

"You know, something to hang your keys on?" Barliman looked at her with a blank stare. "Do you have anything to advertise on? My friends aren't going to believe me when I tell them I've been to Bree..." Barliman did not look anymore enlightened than before.

"Cups? Little prancing ponies? Rulers? Anything like that?" 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Luitha was turning red. I couldn't figure out why they didn't have souvenirs. I was in Middle Earth, for crying out loud, and there wasn't anything to show for it? Finally I waved Barliman away, seeing how utterly flummoxed he was. 

"Nothing! How can Bree call itself a city if it doesn't have anything in the way of mementos?"

She looked up from her drink. "Does this mean you're done torturing Barliman?"

"I was not torturing him. I merely wanted something to say I've been in Bree. I fear no one would believe me back home..." I trailed off. Home. What was home? When the word home had come to my lips, pictures of Rivendell flooded my brain, images of Elrond were in front of my eyes. Yet, what of my family? My mother, father, three siblings. Could I truly forget about them and stay here? Would I be able to go back if I tried? Did I want to try? 

I felt like kicking myself. Here I was, in Bree. I should be enjoying myself, and instead I was depressing myself. Time for a distraction.

"Can we see if we can run into Tom Bombadil tomorrow?"

Luitha grinned. "Yes. But you need to promise that we will not detour to see Old Man Willow."

"But, but, it would be so neat, so very cool, to see him! We could keep eyes out for Entwives too!"

"No. With our luck, we would be trapped. I do not feel like being drowned by a tree."

"We would be careful!"

"No. You are not dragging me anywhere near that tree. I swear if you do I am going to tell Glorfindel..." she stopped suddenly.

"About Elrond and I? Oh, he knows. Fine then. But we are going to stop and spend the night on Weathertop on the way back. I don't care if it creeps you out, I think it would be awesome. And then we can race for the fords and see how quickly Asfaloth could make it if he left the walkers behind!"

She looked at me. I stopped, for a second having the odd feeling that she hadn't meant what I thought about Glorfindel, but waved it off. "Luitha, don't you want to do any of the really cool stuff here?"

"Next you'll be wanting to visit Mordor, and Mount Doom, and Dol Guldur, and Isenguard!"

"Ooh, I had forgotten Isenguard! Saruman can't be bad yet!"

She closed her eyes and moaned. I think I was getting on her nerves. Her lips started to move, and I leaned forward to hear the barely muttered words, "why me, why me, why me?"

"Hey!"

"Hey nothing! You would probably enjoy meeting Saruman! And his new master!"

"No, I think his new master scares me. I would just to see his new master's fortress. Barad Dur must be pretty this time of year!" Suddenly I remembered what time of year it was. "Luitha! Thorin! I forgot to meet him!"

"So?" Obviously she didn't know what today was.

"The Battle of the Five Armies, its today! He dies today, and I didn't meet him! Oh, I met Fili and Kili, and Balin and Dwalin, and all of the others, but not Thorin." My shoulders slumped. He was one of two Dwarves I wanted to meet. 

"Are you sure it's today?"

"Yes. I actually figured out the day of the Battle by rereading the Hobbit and studying the Appendices."

"There is no Hobbit here, Tolkien can't write it yet!"

"Not here, silly! Before we left for the mall! I had been curious, so I researched it out."

"Well, there really is nothing you can do. Unless you had a time portal or figured out how to harness lightening to your will, you won't meet him. Sorry."

"You don't care, do you?"

"Honestly, he always struck me as a snob, until the part when he dies. Then he is nice."

"But he's dead!"

"Yeah, and so am I, on my feet I mean. Let's get some sleep so we can visit Bombadil in the morning." I reluctantly followed her up the stairs to our room. I had wanted a Hobbit one, but Luitha had emphatically said no. 

"You know, I think I'm going to wear my silver dress to Bombadil's, as well as Tolkien's."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 We got up early the next morning, eager to be off again. The main room was full, and we sat quietly by the window watching the chaos that erupted constantly around us. At my suggestion, we pulled our hoods over our heads. Too many strange men in there made me nervous, and I recognized the pinched-faced men in the far corner as southerners. They watched us carefully. We tried not to notice.

We got up to leave quickly and made for the stables. Asfaloth had not been happy about staying the night in a barn, but I felt rather odd leaving him to run around Bree while we slept. But as we neared the stables, we heard a rather high pitched voice coming from inside.

"Go on!" it squeaked in a rather desperate tone, "Git! Git!"

Tadan and I raised our eyebrows at each other and strode quickly inside. A slim, dark figure was standing behind Asfaloth, shoving at the horse's rump and making spitting noises to encourage him. The door to Miel's stall was open as well, but neither of the horses looked as though they had any intention of moving. Miel watched with bored interest as the figure spat some more and braced himself between the horse and wall in the stall next to him. Asfaloth ate from a grain bucket, not even twitching as the man pushed harder at his rump.

Tadan and I suppressed giggles and watched the scene amusedly for a moment. Miel heard us enter and looked with renewed interest at the door, lifting his head and issuing a small whinny. I whistled. Asfaloth jerked his head up and immediately trotted forward through the stall door, snorting as the figure that had wedged itself behind him dropped with a gasp and a painful thud to the floor.

Tadan and I mounted and turned to the figure still recovering in the stall.

"Bill Ferny," she said simply, a grin on her face. "This won't be the last time you turn out to be a pest. Take care to only mess with people that have no desire to fight back. You just might end up with an apple to your silly noggin."

We turned and trotted out into the street. Only once we were past the walls of Bree did we release the laughter we'd been bottling up and spend ten minutes gasping for air.

"Seriously," I said. "We should have done something. He's going to be a real problem in the future."

"Nah, they'll deal with it. And I don't want to think about the consequences of messing with the future."

Still laughing, we trotted off down the road. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 The trip to the Barrow Downs was made very short by our Elvish mounts. It was barely nearing noon when we came to a small house matching Tolkien's descriptions. As we dismounted I turned to Luitha.

"Isn't it kind of ironic that we recognize Tom's place by what Tolkien will write in the future?" She just looked at me. I shrugged, and turned to see a brightly dressed fellow come dancing out of the door. A smile filled my face as he greeted us with song and invited us in.

_"Fear not to eat until you're full,__ Tom always has another bowl! Welcome are the Elf ladies from afar, Shine their eyes do like a star!"_

I suddenly understood PJ's removal of Tom from the movie. While he was very cool, about ninety percent of the audience probably would be rolling in the aisles, laughing their heads off when he sang. 

Luitha and I were smiling and merry as we sat down at his table. The luncheon was light and well made. Everything seemed to glow from within, whether it was the simple yet elegant chairs, or the food itself. I found my mind wandering in the beauty of it all.

All too soon the wonderful meal was done, and Tom leaned back into his chair with a smile and twinkling eyes. "So what brought you here to Tom's house? Fear not to tell, for Tom is a merry fellow, with tall boots yellow."

I smiled and relaxed, feeling so very much at home, and a bit surprised by the feeling. Here, as in Rivendell, I felt more at home than I ever had in my world. Why was that? I almost asked Tom, but decided upon a different question, one that had made me curious for a very long time. "Who _is_ Tom Bombadil? What is your tale? Are you Aule, as some think, or simply an enigma?" Tom's smile grew, and his eyes positively danced.

_"What is my tale__, you ask of me. Am I Aule or just Tom, who may I be? You wish to know all, daughters of the Star, be patient, and your lives will go far. The answer I'll not say. It is for you. Make up your own mind as to what is true."_

Our visit with Tom was over all too soon. Goldberry was heading down to the River, and Tom was going to wander his land. We thanked them for their kind hospitality, and headed for the Shire. We came to the forest, and I began to lead the both of us through the trees.

Luckily for me, Luitha had not studied the maps of the Shire areas as well as I had. When I suggested a route, she followed. For almost a full hour she followed without a word of question. After a bit of careful riding, though, she noticed where we were.

"Tadan, we better not be anywhere near Old Man Willow."

I pretended that I didn't hear her. Suddenly my crown seemed much more interesting than it had yesterday.

"Tadan?" There was a bit of danger in her tone, and I looked up.

"Well, what do you consider anywhere near?" Her look could have melted the Ring. 

"Anywhere that he can get us. I don't feel like being drowned by a tree."

"Ah, but you wouldn't mind being drowned by, say, a Balrog?"

"Tadan, you know what I mean. We aren't anywhere near it, are we?"

"Him. Old Man Willow is a him."

"TADAN, answer the question."

"We're not. We are in the old woods, but we shouldn't be near him. I just wanted to see if there were any Entwives hanging around." Well, mostly. I kinda wanted to catch a glimpse of Old Man Willow as well. We were sort of close, but hopefully she had no idea. Luitha rolled her eyes. "It's also a shortcut. We'll be at Tolkien's Hobbit Hole this evening. And he is expecting us today, Elrond talked with him of our arrival. I think Tolkien might have one of the missing Palantir. It would explain a lot."

"Yes, I suppose it would. But we are avoiding big trees by water, do you hear me?" I grinned as we rode on, being careful not to draw attention to the tall tree near the water which was making a soft buzzing sound...not unlike that whichdrew the Hobbits in. Luitha, of course, didn't notice. But I watched it until we passed out of line of sight, and wondered if at one time it had been an Ent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 I was still in shocked surprise as we rode out of the forest. His boots really were yellow! And I still had no clue if he was Maia or not. I had meant to ask him too!

I was grinning like a fool when we came over the first rise overlooking the Shire. I saw all the hobbit holes dug into hills, their doors gleaming in the sunlight with fresh paint. Our horses cantered down across a bridge and into the town. 

The Shire was just as I had imagined it. And creepily enough, it was just as PJ had imagined it too. I wondered if we had gotten lost and headed accidentally into New Zealand instead.

Hobbits! They were everywhere! Their feet was even furrier than I imagined and their hair was as curly as mine, though quite a bit messier. They were so short they only came up to a little above Asfaloth's knees. They all stopped what they were doing and stared as Tadan and I passed by. I heard awed murmurs of "Elves" and did my best to look at least a little dignified.

Asfaloth's hooves chimed on the cobbled streets of Hobbiton. We passed the Green Dragon and I peeked inside, wondering if the Gaffer was in there.

"What I wouldn't give for a camera right now," I muttered as we passed out of the main part of town and headed for the hills again. Soon little hobbit children were racing down from the hills shrieking "Elves! Elves!" just as they would for Gandalf years later. I wondered if Frodo or Sam were one of them. Had they even been born yet? I tried to work the timeline out in my head. Bilbo would be heading back soon, so Bag End would be unoccupied...

A startling and rather disturbing thought came to mind. "Tadan," I said slowly. "You said a few days ago was the Battle of the Five Armies? Bilbo will be back soon."

"Ooohh! I want a tour of Bag End!" she exclaimed.

"He has the Ring. He'll bring it here soon." The thought of such Evil coming to the beautiful and homely Shire gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach. And it was the first time I had given serious thought to the Ring since I had arrived in Middle-Earth. How dangerous it seemed to even think about it here! The air seemed to feel heavy for a moment.

"Yes," Tadan replied, suddenly solemn. "But it will stay quiet for a long time. And we know how the story ends, don't we?" I didn't reply. 

The Hobbit children racing after us lightened my mood, and we reached Tolkien's hobbit hole without difficulty, staring at awed silence at the door. I was suddenly afraid to knock. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I reached for the door. Then my hand stopped. I reached for the knocker, and I couldn't open it. I was in shock. This opportunity was amazing. I saw Luitha watching me, a knowing smile on her face. She probably would have the same trouble as I. Finally I rapped with the knocker.

"Come in!" called a merry voice. "The door is unlocked, and I've been expecting you!" I looked at my shaking hand as I grasped the handle and went in, Luitha right behind.

"J. R. R. Tolkien?" I asked. The Hobbit looked stood up from the large chair he had been sitting in.

"Yes! And you are the two from Rivendell!" We nodded mutely. His blue eyes and curly hair reminded me very much of Frodo. "Ah, but Lord Elrond did not tell me your names. I shall have to give you some!" He grinned, and his eyes sparkled with jubilant delight. 

"You," he turned to Luitha first. "Hmm. A star pendant, so I should call you something about a star. And you come with the evening. Evenstar. That's your name. And you, let me think." His eyes met mine, even though he barely came up to my thigh. "In silver, and with a crown. Silver Queen shall be your name." I looked at Luitha in surprise. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 Astonished, I locked eyes with Tadan and unable to move. Evenstar? But that was Arwen! And Silver Queen was Elrond's wife Celebrian! And where were those characters? I wondered. It had been bothering me since I had arrived. I had been expecting Arwen to come tearing up and claim Estel ever since I had first set eyes on him.

"Sit! Sit!" Tolkien motioned toward some chairs facing the fire, opposite of his own, and he sat down again. "Oh! Where are my manners?" He leaped up again and approached us. "May I take your cloaks? Thank you, thank you." He went to hang them on a peg by the door and returned, bouncing once more into the chair with a sigh. I nearly laughed. How hobbit-like he was!

"Welcome again!" he said. "I am very curious to know who you are and what your business is with me though. Lord Elrond did not say anything more than was necessary, as is his way. It is not often I have two Elven ladies come to my cozy hobbit hole. What brings you here?"

Tadan and I looked at each other. She motioned for me to speak.

"Mr. Tolkien, we've known of you practically all our lives and wanted to meet you."

"All your lives?" Tolkien's eyes narrowed in confusion. I nearly slapped my forehead. The youngest Elf on Middle Earth was probably about 3000 years old!

"Mr. Tolkien, we're not actually Elves," Tadan began. "It's a rather complicated situation, you see..." Tolkien waved her off.

"I can tell when a good story is coming! Why don't you start at the beginning, and tell me your real names. You don't mind if I smoke, do you?" We shook our heads as Tolkien pulled out a pipe and began puffing away.

"I'm Tadan," Tadan said. "And this is Luitha."

"Fate and Enchants? I know enough of the Elvish tongue to realize that those are very odd names for an Elf."

"Yes," I said, "but we weren't born with those names. We gave them to ourselves." Tolkien raised an eyebrow and puffed away. I licked my lips, looked nervously at Tadan, and was about to open my mouth when Tolkien interrupted again.

"You are certainly strange for Elves," he told us. "One with curly hair, one with short hair, and both with strange accents I cannot place. It's the accents that muddle me the most, you see. You use words that I am not used to hearing."

Well of course he would notice that. I had to restrain from slapping my forehead again. Tolkien had been a professor in philology and had studied words, of all things.

"Professor Tolkien." I decided I'd better just lay it all out. "We're not from Rivendell, we're not even Middle Earth. I know you're from Britain. Tadan and I are Americans, from Florida and Virginia."

I knew I would never forget the look on the hobbit's face just then. The pipe fell out of his mouth and he stared at us in dazed wonder. 


	9. To the Shire and Back Again

_Thank you as always to our reviewers.  We apologize for the delay, we'll try to work faster now! A reminder though, if you're just so eager to read the next part, you can go to the link given on the first page. This story IS complete, and it's all at that link. I know this format is a little hard to get used to, the way we alternate viewpoints. But we wrote something together earlier that worked well in this format and old habits die hard!  _ Tadandader HalfElven 

 What do you say when a Hobbit who is a human you've wanted to meet all your life drops his pipe and stares in shock? I had no idea, so I sat there and continued to stare. Luitha seemed to have no problem talking to him, yet every time I opened my mouth I forgot what I was going to say.

Luitha was on a roll, though, and I motioned her to keep going. "We were born in the late twentieth century, in our time, and..."

He cut her off. "Did you know, that's my future! And here you are, in what is surely the past. Do you know if I'm still, oh, never mind. I've never liked fortune tellers. So tell me about yourselves!"

I finally found my tongue. "We are guests in Elrond's, Lord Elrond's, I mean, house. He healed us after we were transported her by a lightening bolt."

Tolkien leaned forward, interested. "And what are your lives like? You obviously are friends with Lord Elrond if you are prone to say his name without his title. Few do that."

Luitha grinned, and I knew what was coming, yet was helpless to prevent it. "Tadan and Elrond have a...relationship. A very close relationship. It was he that gave her the dress and crown you see upon her head."

"Ah! So perhaps soon you shall be a queen in truth?" His eyes sparkled again, and I remembered that Hobbits had a thirst for gossip.

"Perhaps. I'm not sure yet." It was time for revenge. "If you wanted details about our lives, Luitha has a relationship as well. Hers is with the Rangers' leader, Aragorn."

Now his eyes went wide. "Son of Arathorn? A human? Well, now that's something different. Now I shall pose a question to the both of you, and I want you to think before you answer. If you were, well, creatively added to a story about the Elves, how would you want to be introduced? I will use the names I gave you at the door, of course."

What to say? Would telling him mess up the story, or would it keep it the same?

He noticed our hesitation. "Never you mind," he said. "I'll figure it out. Now, why did you come to visit me?"

"Is Glorfindel of Rivendell the same as Glorfindel of Gondolin?" Luitha gave me an strange look. "I've never been able to ask him. He seems rather odd."

"Now that is a question for the ages!" Tolkien smiled. "I asked him, once, but he asked me not to reveal it. However, since you asked so nicely, come close." He whispered the answer to us. I smiled. I had been right after all. "And now it is your turn for a question, Luitha," he declared, and turned to face her. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 I smiled lightly. "I have no question for you Professor Tolkien. I had only the desire to meet you. However, if you will kindly hold that question for me, I may ask one of you in the future."

Tolkien chuckled. "Of course. I shall be happy too! But now I wish to hear of your tale in getting here. You don't mind if I take notes, do you?" Tadan and I shook our heads and began narrating the story of our adventure.

"...and so we decided that we'd try to come and meet you," Tadan finished as the night grew late. "And here we are."

Tolkien finished writing with a flourish. "Well spoken! Nicely done! Though unfortunately, I cannot publish any of it. The hobbits here would never believe it! They think I am odd enough as it is." Tolkien chuckled at this, as though amused by their reactions. "I can mold it around however, using the names I gave you..." He fell silent, muddling quietly to himself. 

"Ah! I will figure it out! There is so much more I wish to ask you- but you must be exhausted! Come, I'll show you to your rooms!" Tolkien leaped out of his chair and padded down the hall. We followed quietly behind, ducking to fit into the rooms he assigned to each of us.

I slipped quietly into the chair beside a small window, looking out to the stars. The pendant around my neck shone brilliantly, and I wrapped my hand around it, closing my eyes. It was warm. I could feel its heat flowing into my palm, warming my heart.

"Lady El luitha?" I opened my eyes and turned to see the hobbit's silhouette framed in the doorway.

I smiled. "Come in."

"Would you mind if I ask a few more questions?"

"Of course not. Have a seat. I don't intend to sleep for awhile."

Tolkien sat himself on the bed and regarded me. It was a strange feeling, being the object of a life-long hero's curiosity. "You and the Dunedain- would you tell me the story?"

I looked at him in surprise, and then smiled slightly. "Will you ask the same of Tadan?"

"Of course," he replied. "But I am interested in the relationship between an Elf and a Man. There have been only two other incidents in Elvish history of such a pairing. How will you deal with your immortality, as compared with his mortality?"

I could almost a reporter hat sitting on his head with that comment. I sighed and stared out the window. I admired Tolkien greatly, but did not particularly wish to talk to him about this. "We first became friends in the spring of Rivendell, riding through the forests as I recovered my strength..." 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven

 It had been only a few days, and already I missed Elrond. I stared at the stars, finding Earendil easily.

"Earendil, I hope you are not angry at me. I am not trying to be an interloper in your son's life." I sighed, and watched the stars move across the sky. 

A soft knock drew me out of my reverie. "Enter," I said, and watched as Tolkien came in. "What can I do for you?"

"Just a few details about your relationship with Lord Elrond would be nice, my Lady."

I smiled. "I thought our story would make others think you insane. Very well. What would you like to hear?" I motioned him to take a seat in the chair, and I sat down on the bed.

"What started it? How did your relationship really begin?"

I glanced out the window, my gaze falling yet again on Earendil. "He saved my life, and he showed such concern while doing so. I think I liked him right away, as a friend. He seemed close and honest. Some things I have always looked for in a man, and honesty is one of them." My eyes moved and saw him scribbling as fast as his hand could move. I continued on in the same vein for quite a while, until he left me to get some sleep. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 I woke when the first ray of sun cleared the hills beyond Hobbiton and covered the hobbit hole with light- shining directly into my eye, of course. I groaned and rolled over, wrapping myself tighter within the blanket and hiding my head under the pillow. 

I suddenly became aware that my feet were freezing and looked down to see them sticking out from the blanket on the very small bed. I sat up, grumbling to myself, just as a knock sounded at the door.

Tolkien came in with a cheerful expression on his face, and as the door opened the smell of tea drifted into the room.

"Breakfast, my lady! Second breakfast actually- do all Elves sleep this late? Well, humans-turned-Elves anyway. Come!" He shut the door, and I groaned again. My dreams of Estel's bright blue eyes had been broken. They had seemed so real.

I got up and threw on the midnight blue dress I had been wearing the day before. Still grumbling and in a rather bad mood (I was not a morning person), I pulled my pair of Ranger pants from my traveling back and slid them on underneath. If I was going to be forced into a dress, darn it, I was going to do it my way. 

I began to stuff the rest of the Ranger outfit back into the bags but paused for one moment. They smelled like him. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, once again caught up in dreams of his blue...

_Knock. Knock._ "Luitha! Are you coming?" 

I grumbled an answer to Tadan and stuffed the clothes in. We met in the hallway and continued to the kitchen. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 Luitha came to breakfast wearing pants. I was instantly jealous. Where had she gotten pants? Then I noticed the coloring and cut closely recalled that of the Rangers. Oh, that made sense. 

Breakfast was delicious, but I didn't notice a whole lot of it. Tolkien's questions had made me think about Elrond, and I was really missing him. Even though I was happy to be in the Shire, I was very excited that today we would head back. The seedcakes were magnificent, and I crossed one more thing off my 'Things to do in ME' list, eating seedcakes. 

Soon we were ready to depart. After heartily thanking Tolkien, we headed off, underneath the warm sunlight.

"Hey, Luitha?"

"Yeah?" she asked, looking up from the necklace she was wearing. I didn't blame her. I'd been playing with my crown all trip long.

"On the way back, can we stop at Weathertop? I want to camp there for a night. And then we can have a race toward the Fords, shouting a certain Elvish phrase the whole way!" I was grinning with the thought of it. That would be fun.

"Tadan, sometimes.." she trailed off, smiling. "Why not? We will have to have a roaring bonfire, though. And plenty of tomatoes."

"Ah, but then I would have to kick the fire so you could say 'ashes on my tomahtoes'." 

"You're obsessed."

"And you're not?" We laughed.

"At least I didn't ask for keychains at the Prancing Pony!"

"It could have been worse! I could have asked him to autograph my pack for me! And Tom Bombadil!"

"What about J. R. R.?"

My grin widened. "Did you look at my pack?"

"You didn't." She leaned over to see. "Oh my word, you did! Tadan, you're insane!"

"I'm willing to bet that you would have had yours autographed too if the thought had crossed your mind." She gave me a guilty grin, and once more we burst out laughing.

The day passed swiftly as we rode on. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 We passed through Bree again on the way back, but we stayed only for a meal. The uneasiness that I had felt the last time we had passed through only increased with our return trip. I did not like the way the men looked at us as we rode through.

Our hearts were lifted as we hit the open road again. Tadan looked admiringly at the mug she had bought from the Prancing Pony, Butterbur's signature scrawled across the side. She sighed in happiness and tucked it into her pack, turning her eyes on me suspiciously.

"Luitha, what?"

"Huh?" I turned to face her, startled out of my musings.

"You've been looking behind us every five minutes since we've left Bree. Is there someone following us?" She grinned suddenly. "Do you expect a certain Ranger to come riding out of nowhere?"

I grinned back. "You look forward as much as I look back. Rather anxious to get back to our Elf Lord, aren't we?"

She laughed at me. "Seriously though, is someone behind us?"

"I don't know." I glanced at the road beyond Asfaloth's tail again, but even with my Elf zoom eyesight, I could not see anything unordinary. "I can't tell. But I have this funny feeling... well, never mind." Tadan gave me a worried glance, but let it go.

It was nearly dark by the time we reached Weathertop. The horses had trotted all day, and Tadan and I were still in good cheer. The trip had been easy and comfortable so far, and as much as we missed Rivendell, it was nice to go exploring for awhile.

We thoroughly explored Weathertop as the sun set beyond the horizon. The night was clouded and unusually dark. I was grateful for the star hanging from my neck; it's light gave off an unearthly brilliance when I willed it to.

We sat beside the fire, laughing and discussing our visit to Hobbiton. I was cozy in my Ranger clothes, having discarded the dress altogether as soon as we made camp. Wrapped in a very warm cloak, I basked drowsily in the heat of the fire.

I heard the leaves braking in the valley below us, heard footsteps upon rock and soil. But by the time the sounds registered in my mind and I cried out a warning, it was too late. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven 

 I grinned at the fire. Luitha had thought I had started it by traditional means. However, when she had wandered off for more firewood, I made it mentally. All I had done was concentrate on heat within the wood. The logs exploded into flame, and I was glad I hadn't been sitting closer. 

I looked at her glowing necklace, and my thoughts wandered until I heard a loud cracking noise behind me. I whirled at the same time as Luitha shouted to find five of the Men from Bree staring at me. 

"What do you want?" I demanded. Their foul grins served as an answer. I turned to run, only to see that we were surrounded. I glanced toward our horses, which were outside of the heartless ring. 

"_Lelya Rivendell, Miel_!" I shouted as loud as I could. Miel snorted and darted away. At least Elrond would know that something had happened when Miel reached him. 

Beside me I heard Luitha echo me. "Lelya, Asfaloth!" Many of the men burst into curses, and a few ran to their horses to pursue. But the horses of Men were nothing compared to Elvish steeds.

We were still vastly outnumbered. They crowded in, there were about twenty or so still at Weathertop not futilely pursuing our horses.

"Come on, play nice, little Elves." One stepped forward, and the others laughed. I wasn't thinking straight when I stepped back toward the fire. It's warmth filled me, and without conscious thought raised my hands in front of me. 

The six closest to me burst into flames. Screaming, they ran around, human torches. My voice joined theirs in screaming. What had I done! I fell to my knees as my stomach heaved. There was chaos everywhere as other men tried to help their friends. I felt rough hands throwing me forward, but my mind was still reeling from shock and horror. How could I have done that?

"The flames won't go out!" one of the men shouted, a desperate tone to his voice. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

El luitha uren  

 I stared, numb with shock, as Tadan dropped to her knees and fiery chaos ensued around me. Was this her gift? One of the men threw her to the ground, but it did not help. The flames and the screams of the burning men continued. My stomach churned at the sight. 

I closed my eyes, even as I felt a rough hand on my shoulder. I wanted to fight and get the men off of me, but my own gift was calling. I did not wish to be taken without a fight, but I could not watch as the men slowly burned to death either. 

I did not know exactly what prompted me, but I turned my focus inward and concentrated on clearing my thoughts, blocking out the screams of pain. I could sense energy flowing through my veins and knew I could use it to dampen the flames. A green-blue aura filled the insides of my eyes. The bright lights flickering beyond my eyelids came to an abrupt stop. 

Dizzy now, I put a hand out to steady myself. Tadan's shoulder was the nearest solid place to put it. I felt the heat of her flesh through her cloak and without a thought, dampened that too. That was when I felt a rough hand forcing me to the ground, and I realized the trouble we were in.

I came to life, dizzy and weak now, but alive and not going down without a fight. I shook the hand off my shoulder, staggered to my feet with a scream of _Elbereth_, and swung around with a hard kick. My boot connected to something and I heard a grunt followed by a thud. The men, no longer occupied with their burning companions, flooded toward me. My eyes widened in shock. How many were there?

I fought as hard as I could, but was easily outnumbered. They came crashing down on me. A bow, I thought wildly, I needed a bow. But there was none, and I was soon on the ground with my arms pinned cruelly behind my back. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Tadandader HalfElven

 I felt a cool rush pass through my body, and the screams of the burning men ended. Then I remembered the danger we were in. Rapidly and shakily I regained my feet, and drew my sword. I felt extremely lightheaded, but I wasn't going down without a fight. 

How many men were there? I faced off with four at once, knowing that this would not go well. I ducked the first sword thrust, and, because he overextended, slashed his sword arm. He screamed in anger and pain, and the other three struck as one, knocking the blade from my hand and cutting it. 

I jerked back in pain, and grabbed a stick from our bonfire. Although the last thing I wanted to use right then was fire, it was all I had. I felt minor satisfaction as fear was reflected on the faces of those facing me. 

"Watch out, she's got more flame!" came a cry. I dropped the flaming wood, and tripped over one of the men I had set on fire earlier. Arms flailing wildly, I fell over.

Rough hands threw me onto my back, and wrapped around my throat while rope was tied painfully and harshly around my wrists and ankles. In seconds I was securely tied, and unable to move anything but my head, which was throbbing. 

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El luitha uren  

 I was lifted onto a horse and was nearly secured into the saddle. But they forgot to tie my legs, I realized with grim satisfaction. I kicked out on either side of me and knocked a few more down. 

Hands tied behind my back still, I swung one leg over and dismounted with a hop. Hah. I hadn't been a Xena fan for six years without learning something. Many more went down as I fought with every lower muscle I possessed, before something hit the back of my head with a mind jarring _thwack_. My thoughts muddled for a moment and the air went out of me, but I did not go unconscious. That hesitation was all they needed though. They lifted me once more into the saddle, strapping my legs in so tightly that I gasped and keeled over the saddle horn.

I looked over to see Tadan on a horse behind me, trussed up like a chicken and well away what remained of our campfire. She was eyeing the sword laying on the ground by the fire. When had she learned how to use that? I snorted. Actors. They always managed to surprise you.

With guards on all sides of us, we watched and waited.

What looked to be the leaders of the rabble met together around the fire. Their outlines were not clear, but they were definitely men. I was very glad of my Elvish ears at the moment, for I could hear their entire conversation.

"We should rest until nightfall and make sure that one Elf-witch doesn't burn anymore of our men."

"No. We go now. They're both Elves, they'll have forces after them soon." These two men seemed to have been bickering for awhile.

"We're days from any Elvish forest!" came the first voice. "No one will even know they're missing until long after they're due back."

"Wrong." This third voice was sleek and nasal. The true leader of the group, I realized, and the brains of the operation. "Did you not see their Elvish horses fly? Elves will be here to claim them. Soon. We must leave now and do all that we can to confuse the trail."

"I don't see what can be done," said the second voice. "They're Elves. We have no chance of losing them or outrunning them."

"We make for the Misty Mountains," the leader said smoothly. "We can lose them there, let them deal with the goblins that guard the trails there."

"And if the goblins find us?" The second speaker was clearly not to be disalluded.

"They won't," the leader simply answered.

I felt a thump behind me and the poor beast I was on began moving at once. I had already lost feeling in my hands and legs, and my energy had almost been completely exhausted in healing and fighting. I bent over and let my head loll on my chest, closing my eyes and conserving what strength I had left. 

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Tadandader HalfElven 

 I listened to the conversations around the fire. Well, at least they were a little afraid of me, although I probably could have figured that out by the way they had me tied. All of a sudden we were moving. I was tied onto the horse, and was bouncing around that my headache was becoming worse. The man riding next to me wasn't helping, either. 

Strapped to the back of his horse was a makeshift travois with one of the burnt men on it, who was obviously his friend. Every few minutes my guard would strike me across the back with a long thin stick he was carrying. "Oops, so sorry, your majesty," he'd say, or "My, aren't the midges something awful this time of year?" All I could do was glare at him, but I hadn't the strength to do even that convincingly.

I looked over to where Luitha was, on the other side of the trail. At least she had beaten up a few of them. I felt rather pathetic. 

This was one of the few times I had ever been afraid. We had two bits of hope, though. First of all was that our horses should reach Rivendell in about two days, as they were running free of all burdens. Second, in order to get to the Misty Mountains, one would have to cross the Greyflood, which Elrond monitored. Or they could go through the Ettenmors, which it did not look like they planned to do. 

If everything went well, we would have help in about three days. Otherwise, there was no telling what might happen. 

The man struck me again. "Lamanfirin!" I said, and he shied back in fear. I gave him my most evil sneer, but he relaxed when nothing happened. And nothing would have happened. I was just calling him names. Unfortunately I hadn't the presence of mind to be creative, so 'dead animal' had to do it.

He looked at the leader. "Sir," he called, "she's trying to do something! I think she spoke a spell!"

The leader dropped back to where I rode right away. "What did she say?"

"I don't rightly know, something about 'fee-reen'."

"Dead? Are you trying to curse us?" He grabbed my chin and forced my head up. My eyes unwillingly caught his. "Speak, witch!"

I summoned every bit of my remaining dignity. "I do not have to answer to you, and I shall not! You will pay for what you have done, son of Morgoth!"

He struck me, and then backhanded me. I felt the bitter taste of blood seep into my mouth. "Learn to be more polite, witch, or I'll have to teach you." The grimace on his face made his meaning very clear, as he looked at me, and the company of men that was close enough to hear laughed. 

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El luitha uren  

 I glared angrily as the leader backhanded Tadan and struggled against my bonds. The men riding on either side of me sniggered and struck at me with their own whips. I bit my lip against the sharp pain and turned to look at one of them. The look in my eyes must have been convincing, because he lost his grim smile and turned his attention to the road again.

The night drew on, and the next day and night. The men did not stop. Fear of the Elves pushed them on. Why had they taken Tadan and I? What were they planning on doing with us?

I let my head fall to my chest again and closed my eyes, as I had for most of the ride. Earendil shone through the trees, and I drew strength from its light, filling my reserves and feeling energy flow through my veins once more. My mind drifted, and for a moment I felt a slight burning on my chest. Then all coherent thoughts seemed to melt away. I rode in a trance, without checking my body, letting it swing and bob with the awkward gait of the horse.

I opened my eyes, but they were not my own.

He rushed down the halls of Rivendell at a run, throwing open the doors to the library and standing at the edge of the room. Elrond was bending over a book on a table, and the Elf looked up at his entrance.

"They are gone," he said, trying to mask the fear and panic that was in his voice. "Asfaloth and Miel have returned riderless, I met them on the road."

_The Elf Lord's eyes unfocused for a moment. "I have felt something... I did not know what. Tadan is injured, but alive. I felt the explosion of her gift a few nights ago. Something has indeed gone wrong." He looked up, a hard expression on his face. "Have you felt it Aragorn?"_

_Aragorn nodded. "I have. We must ride. The horses will take us."_

_"Find Glorfindel and my sons. Get them ready to leave."_

_"It is done, my lord. We are waiting for you."_

They strode outside into the moonlight. Asfaloth fidgeted with Miel in the front of the Elven troops, bobbing his head and whinnying. Aragorn swung onto his white back and turned his head to the road.

_"Noro lim, Asfaloth. Find her." The company took off silently into the night... _

I woke and jerked my head up. My gift, I realized. I had blended thoughts with Aragorn, seen through his eyes. 

They were coming. 


End file.
